September 20, 2012
South Burnett councillors were kept busy at their meeting on Wednesday … fixing an anomaly in their charges, altering speed limits and setting up a new fund for streetscaping.
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Speed limits at three locations in the South Burnett will be changed and pedestrian safety improved at a fourth, on the recommendation of the SBRC’s Traffic Advisory Committee:
- Kingaroy: Harris Rd’s speed zone signage will be raised from 60km/h to 80km/h from the invert near Keith Shaw Drive to the S-bend on the eastern end of the road
- Kingaroy: The Fisher St/Ivy St junction will get pedestrian refuge provisions by reshaping the existing median strip in Fisher St to provide shelter for prams and bikes, as well as ramps in the kerb and channel, at the request of Cr Keith Campbell. However this item hasn’t been budgeted for and work may not be able to be undertaken this year.
- Wheatlands: The Wheatlands School Zone limit will be reduced to 60km/h with the approval of Transport and Main Roads in response to concerns about excessive speed and safety in the area
- Nanango: The 60km/h speed limit zone on the D’Aguilar Hwy will be extended 100m from near the Peanut Wagon to Brown Street if approved by Transport & Main Roads
The recommendations were made at the Committee’s meeting on August 16 and adopted at the SBRC’s meeting on September 20.
The Committee is made up of representatives from the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Police and Council.
UPDATE December 19, 2012: The Traffic Advisory Committee noted today there had been a mistake in their minutes re the proposed speed limit change on Harris Road. The minutes should have read “…from the invert near Keith Shaw Drive to Redmans Road intersection”.
Good Times End At Maidenwell Hall
It will now cost more to hold a function at Maidenwell Hall if alcohol is served, than if it isn’t …
The SBRC yesterday corrected an anomaly in its schedule of Fees and Charges which advised people that if they didn’t intend to serve alcohol, the hall could be hired for $58 plus a bond of $167. But if they did, the hiring fee dropped to just $19 and the bond to $19, too.
This unusual encouragement to intemperance came to an end yesterday when Council voted to amend its schedule and raise the price of alcohol-related hiring to $120 and the bond to $245.
Cr Barry Green said he’d received “a bit of flak” about the error but was grateful to residents who had brought it to his attention.
Mayor Is Region’s Delegate On Mega-Tourism Board
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann has been nominated as the South Burnett’s Local Government Representative for 2012-13 on the new Southern Queensland Country Tourism Board (SQCT).
The Board will come into existence on September 27 when the Toowoomba Golden West South Burnett Tourism Board merges with the Southern Downs and Granite Belt Tourism Board.
The Council will contribute $37,000 to SQCT in 2012-13.
The new organisation – which will begin operations in October – will cover an area roughly “twice the size of Tasmania”, according to Queensland Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey.
Swimming Pools Will Be Heated This Year
Council has been installing heat pumps and/or solar panels at the Blackbutt, Nanango, Kingaroy, Wondai and Murgon swimming pools in preparation for this year’s swimming season, which begins this week.
Cr Damien Tessmann told Council’s meeting yesterday that the South Burnett Aquatic Centre in Nanango now has heat pumps and solar panels installed.
The Wondai swimming pool has heat pumps installed too, and will get an electricity upgrade prior to start of the season.
Kingaroy’s swimming pool has heat pumps and will get an electricity upgrade on September 21. But because there needs to be a short period of time for the chemicals in the water to be brought up to standard after pumps are installed, the pool will open a week later than usual on September 29.
Murgon pool also has heat pumps installed and will get an electricity upgrade on September 29. To avoid inconveniencing the public, the pool will open on September 22 but close for four days after the school holidays to commission the pumps into use.
Blackbutt Pool will have a solar system installed and open on September 22.
Dry Weather Helps Roadworks
Dry weather may be causing concern for farmers at the moment but it’s being welcomed by Council which is beginning to catch up on road repairs delayed by winter’s wet weather.
In the four weeks to September 15, major roadworks completed included:
- Mt Stanley Road
- Bullcamp Road
- Myletts Road
- West Wooroolin Road
- Bunya Mountains Road (currently underway)
- D’Aguilar Highway and Peterson Drive (bitumen sealed)
- Peterson Drive and Royles Road (bitumen sealed)
Planned major works over the coming four weeks include:
- Windera School set down area
- Transmitter Road and Woods Road intersection
- Malar Road to Hillsdale Road (pavement widening)
- Memerambi-Barkers Creek Road (pavement widening)
New Streetscaping Fund Set Up
The SBRC voted this week to set up a new Streetscaping Reserve specifically for the revitalisation and future development of streetscapes in the region’s towns and villages.
Revitalising streetscapes was identified as a high priority item at a strategic workshop held late last year.
The reserve will be kicked off with two existing funds – the Nanango Streetscape Reserve and the Nanango Community Reserve – and topped up with the proceeds of all commercial and residential land sales made by Council between July 1st this year and June 30, 2015.
Council was told the reason for creating the new reserve was administrative and accounting simplicity.
When the matter came to a vote, Cr Barry Green said he wanted it clearly understood the only reason he was agreeing to kick off the new reserve with money set aside to revitalise Nanango’s CBD was because he’d received assurances Nanango will be first cab off the rank when the new fund starts being drawn upon.
