The South Burnett Regional Council is considering holding a public forum to gather ideas for upgrading Kingaroy’s CBD prior to next year’s Budget.
The upgrading of the CBD would follow in the footsteps of upgrades to Murgon (the Murgon Skate Park), Proston (Railway Park), Wondai (the Village Green CBD redevelopment), Nanango (CBD redevelopment) and Blackbutt (Les Muller Park redevelopment) which the Council has already undertaken or is currently carrying out.
Today Mayor Wayne Kratzmann told southburnett.com.au an upgrade to Kingaroy’s CBD is under consideration as a possible project for Council’s 2014-2015 Budget.
But the Council wants to seek community input to ensure that whatever work that might be undertaken has broad-based support and meets community needs.
The Mayor said the Council had been criticised for the urban upgrades it has been carrying out across the region over the past 18 months because some people believed the work was being funded by their rates.
“In fact, Council has been paying for these projects through grants, the proceeds of surplus land sales and in some cases – like Proston’s Railway Park project – with help from sponsors like Stanwell and Smithfield Feedlot,” he said.
The Council hopes to put their former Kingaroy works depot in Pound Street on the market in 2014 after decontamination of the site is complete.
The large block is located close to Kingaroy’s CBD and is expected to attract a premium price.
“Council has already had more than 10 expressions of interest in this property, so at the moment we’re thinking that the proceeds from any sale would be used to fund improvements to Kingaroy’s CBD,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
Prior to the 2008 Council amalgamations, the former Kingaroy Shire Council was investigating an upgrade of the CBD area and had called for public submissions to generate ideas.
However amalgamations derailed the process.
Changes that have occurred over the past five years – such as the removal of the railway lines – have now rendered some of the former Council’s ideas obsolete but have opened up the possibility of others.
