Greens candidate for Maranoa Grant Newson

January 8, 2013

Greens Candidate for Maranoa Grant Newson expects a petition against the proposed sale of Adermann Park in Kingaroy to be presented at the January 16 meeting of the South Burnett Regional Council, after it was not presented at the December meeting.

“The full petition (with signatures) was delivered to Cr (Barry) Green and Cr (Deb) Palmer on December 11. This was confirmed by more than one counter staff at the Nanango office on December 12,” Mr Newson said.

“I would define having this in their possession more than one week before the advertised Council meeting as being quite adequate to meet time regulations for submission.”

Mr Newson said Council was treating residents “with the utmost contempt” over the issue.

“The deliberate delay in acknowledging this petition within Council Minutes, for the second time, shows Council’s obvious bias in wanting to sell off public park land to a private enterprise,” he said.

Mr Newson said the front page of the petition clearly stated: “To be presented at Council Meeting, 19th December 2012”.

“I would like to know what reason this time these Councillors could possibly have for this not being done, again,” he said.

He said a similar petition was lodged with Council on October 31 and was not recorded in Council minutes.

“The excuse (that time was) that it was part of Council’s Draft Plan Submission and went to the Department of Natural Resources and Mines,” Mr Newson said.

“This updated petition with a few more signatures, was addressed directly to South Burnett Regional Council, with its objective and recommendation for Council to respond to. I particularly wanted this issue addressed at the meeting on December 19.”

Mr Newson said he had been advised the petition would be presented at the January meeting.

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