September 29, 2014
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann has refuted allegations he used ratepayers’ money to hire a car to take himself, Cr Barry Green and two Council staff members from Caboolture to the South Burnett on August 4.
He has also rejected a claim the vehicle he hired came from a company owned by Cr Green.
The Mayor was referring to claims published recently by Windera resident Ralph Percy on the South Burnett Council Watch website – and repeated in a letter to the editor in other media – that he had used ratepayers’ money to hire a taxi from Caboolture back to the South Burnett after a promotional trip to publicise the reintroduction of a daily return bus service between Murgon and Brisbane.
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Speaking at Thursday night’s Nanango Tourism and Development Association meeting, Mayor Kratzmann confirmed he had hired a car from Caboolture to Wondai for the return journey that day.
He said he had done so because he had to attend the Annual General Meeting of the South Burnett Race Club, where he is president.
He realised too late the new bus service wouldn’t return him to Wondai in time to attend the meeting.
But because his role at the race club was a private one which he undertook as a volunteer – not an official Council role – he booked and paid for the car trip himself.
Mayor Kratzmann said Cr Green had no financial interest in the taxi company the hire was arranged through.
The Mayor then produced a receipt from Nanango Taxi and Delivery Pty Ltd which showed the car had been booked and paid for by him, along with a letter from owner Geoffrey Gee stating Cr Green had no financial interest in the company.
The Mayor said it wasn’t normally his habit to respond publicly to criticism.
“When you’re a politician or any kind of public figure, you have to accept that a certain amount of criticism goes with the job,” he said.
But in this particular case, the claim was “blatantly untrue” and Cr Barry Green was being smeared by political opponents, so he felt compelled to speak out.
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southburnett.com.au believes part of the confusion lies with the fact there are two vehicle hire companies in Nanango: Nanango Taxi and Delivery Pty Ltd and the Nanango Limousine Service.
Cr Green said today he still owned the Nanango Limousine Service, but his interest in the business had virtually ceased since his election to the South Burnett Regional Council in 2008.
His fleet had dwindled from three limousines and a bus to a single limousine and a bus, and both vehicles were now on loan to other operators.
“My limousine is permanently stationed at Nanango Taxi and Delivery Pty Ltd and they use it for Veterans Affairs hires, for taxi services outside their designated area, or for special occasions,” Cr Green said.
“Taxis can only operate within their licensed area, but my vehicle is licensed to operate anywhere in Queensland.”
This meant Nanango Taxi and Delivery Pty Ltd couldn’t despatch one of their own taxis to Caboolture when Mayor Kratzmann’s job was booked.
“Geoff (Gee) chose to send my vehicle down to Caboolture to pick us up because he couldn’t send one of his own,” Cr Green said.
He said the money for the hire went to Nanango Taxi and Delivery Pty Ltd, not the Nanango Limousine Service.
Cr Green instructed the company at the time to take his share out of the normal fee “because Kratzie was paying for all of it out of his own pocket”.
This had reduced the fare from $400 to $300.
“I’m just pleased this hire went to a local company, not a Brisbane one,” Cr Green said.
- Related article: Race Club Figures Up 12pc
