October 24, 2014
The South Burnett Regional Council observed a minute’s silence for Gough Whitlam at October’s monthly Council meeting on Wednesday.
The former Prime Minister died in Sydney on Tuesday aged 98.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said that while financial management was certainly not Mr Whitlam’s strong suit, his positive effect on Australian society was “undeniable”.
He said Mr Whitlam had introduced Australia’s universal free health care system; free tertiary education; and recognition of indigenous land rights. He had also opened diplomatic relations with China and introduced many other reforms which still survived today, profoundly shaping the nation’s character and identity over the past 40 years.
Cr Barry Green echoed the Mayor’s sentiments, recalling that he was one of “about four” people who had met Mr Whitlam when he visited Kingaroy as Federal Opposition Leader prior to his election as Prime Minister in 1972.
He said Mr Whitlam had spoken with the small group who’d come to meet him for “almost four hours”, and his talk was so mesmerising that no one had noticed how long they’d all been there.
“The ideas Gough Whitlam talked about that day changed my views on many things,” Cr Green said.
“It was a genuine privilege to meet the man – he was truly a great Australian.”
* * *
Council has given approval to NBNCo to increase the height of a fixed wireless pole which will be built at 101 McGuire Road in Wattle Camp from 35m to 45m.
NBNCo requested the height extension to increase National Broadband Network coverage in the area that will be serviced by the tower.
Council officers offered no objection to the application, noting that the area where the tower will be built is already heavily vegetated which will “soften” the visual impact of the tower and the extra height of the pole.
Councillors agreed.
* * *
Council has also waived a requirement that NBNCo build an access road to another facility the company intends to construct at Hospital Terrace, Nanango.
NBNCo said there is an existing access track over an unformed road to the site of the proposed tower, and once the facility is built technicians will only need to access the tower two or three times a year to carry out maintenance.
Councillors agreed to the change on condition that NBNCo obtain written consent to access the site via Nanango Hospital’s property from the South Burnett Hospital Board.
* * *
The site of the former Proston Garage will be converted to a residence following Council approval of the project at this month’s general meeting on Wednesday.
Applicants Roger and Patricia Henry had asked the Council to approve a material change of use for the property at 31 Wondai Road in Proston on land that was zoned Business and Commercial.
Cr Keith Campbell noted that since the garage had closed several years ago, the land had been decontaminated so there was no reason the site couldn’t be used for a dwelling.
Councillors approved the application.
* * *
Council has approved a small sub-division at Siefert Street in Crawford.
Owners GL and AJ Champney had applied to split a property they own there from one lot into three lots.
Council officers noted the land is zoned Rural Residential and is not used for agriculture.
And while proposed lot sizes (one of 1.4ha and two of 1.6ha) didn’t comply with Council’s minimum 2ga allotment size, officers thought that because all three lots front a bitumen sealed road and are adjacent to Crawford township, this didn’t pose a problem.
Councillors agreed, and gave the sub-division the go-ahead subject to normal conditions.
* * *
The South Burnett Regional Council will ask the Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning to inspect the Shire’s proposed new Planning Scheme prior to its release for public feedback next year.
The new Planning Scheme has been under development for several years.
It will replace the Planning Schemes of the four former Councils which make up the South Burnett Regional Council (ie Kingaroy, Nanango, Wondsai and Murgon), which are still in operation in the former Council areas.
Whenever a new Planning Scheme is prepared, a Council must write to the Minister requesting a State interest review.
This gives the State Government the opportunity to ensure the proposed Planning Scheme reflects the State’s interests, as identified in the State Planning Policy.
The Council must also ask for the Minister’s permission to release the new Planning Scheme to the public.
At this month’s meeting, Councillors voted unanimously to ask the Minister the begin this process.
The new Planning Scheme is expected to be released for public consultation in the first half of 2015.
* * *
Council has given approval for a fish farm development at 1135 Barambah Road in Moffatdale.
The development, owned by David and Jillita Rose, will comprise 22 ponds over two stages. It will be used to produce fingerlings used to stock dams.
Three submissions about the development were lodged during the public consultation period, expressing concern about water run-off from the ponds.
However Councillors said they were confident conditions attached to the development – and the experience of the owners, who formerly operated a fish farm at Redgate – would alleviate any concerns.
Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell said the proposal was “a substantial development for the region” that would use as much as 80 megalitres of water annually.
Cr Kathy Duff said she’d met personally with one of the objectors and their main concern was about the risk of ponds bursting and downstream flooding.
Infrastructure General Manager Russell Hood said a requirement that all construction works be supervised and certified by a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland should alleviate that concern.
Cr Barry Green said that the operators “plainly knew what they were doing” and Council should support the proposal.
* * *
Council has voted to proceed with seeking expressions of interest to build and operate a supermarket in Blackbutt on the site currently occupied by the Blackbutt Community Hall after a public meeting held in the town on September 22 gave overwhelming support for the concept.
The Council will sell or lease the land to a developer on the proviso they relocate the Blackbutt Community Hall to a site agreed upon by the Blackbutt community shortly after settlement; and under a development covenant that the purchaser build and operate a supermarket on the site.
Council has already received one expression of interest in the proposal from Metcash Food and Grocery, the owners of the IGA supermaket chain.
* * *
Council will invite public tenders for the purchase of three blocks of land it owns in Russell Lane and the Mondure-Wheatlands Road at Mondure.
The three blocks are all rural allotments of .2023ha in size, and a local farmer in an adjoining property has expressed an interest in acquiring them.
* * *
Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell will be Acting Mayor from Wednesday, November 5, to Friday, November 14, and again from Monday, March 9, to Thursday, March 26, when Mayor Wayne Kratzmann takes his annual holidays.
Mayor Kratzmann told Wednesday’s meeting he would be taking a short trip to Darwin next month to see his new grandson.
* * *
Council has accepted a tender from Young’s Farm piggery to purchase 150ML of water from Gordonbrook Dam for $6000.
The Council will also spend $313,710 plus GST to replace an ageing John Deere 670D Grader with a Komatsu grader as part of its plant replacement program.
* * *
Council has voted to end a long-running dispute with owners Ray Abernathy and Jane Mott about their development at 236 Mercer Springate Road in Nanango by requesting a contribution of $2000 per lot towards gravelling an access road.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Councillors were told the owners had originally approached the former Nanango Shire Council about the matter in 2006, where a figure of $2000 per lot for the 13 lots in the development was discussed.
Councillors felt that with the passage of time a more appropriate cost in 2014 would be $2785 per lot.
However the owners had disagreed and lodged an appeal with the Planning and Environment Court.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Councillors debated the pros and cons of fighting the owners in court or bringing the matter quickly to an end.
Cr Damien Tessmann said he thought fighting the issue was pointless, given the small amount of money that might be gained against the costs involved in pursuing the action.
Cr Keith Campbell said he broadly agreed, and thought reaching an out-of-court settlement might be more sensible in the circumstances.
Cr Ros Heit pointed out that developer contributions to roadworks were the only way for councils to recover roadwork costs in new developments without impacting on existing ratepayers.
She said if Council wanted to accept the lesser figure, they should make it clear to the owners that they were agreeing to gravelling the road, not to sealing it.
Cr Barry Green said he agreed with Cr Tessmann.
“Giving up doesn’t mean you’re weak – it means you’re strong enough to let go,” he said.
Councillors agreed to seek the $2000 figure by 6 votes to 1.
* * *
An energetic debate which erupted at the August meeting over Council office closures during the Christmas-New Year period has been decided.
Council will close all its Customer Service Centres and libraries at noon on Wednesday, December 24, and re-open them on Monday, January 5.
Key skeleton staff will be rostered on to undertake on-call and emergency work as required during the closure period.
Council offices and libraries will also close around noon on Friday, December 19 so that staff can attend their annual Christmas party.
In August, SBRC CEO Ken McLoughlin advised councillors the Kingaroy office had received 108 calls during last year’s Christmas break when it was kept open with a skeleton staff.
However most calls were from residents enquiring about whether or not their garbage would be collected during the festive season.
