April 20, 2015
A petition calling for an immediate halt to streetscape work in Nanango was presented to South Burnett Regional Council CEO Gary Wall at the end of this morning’s Council meeting.
The petition, bearing more than 400 signatures, was handed over to Mr Wall by Nanango resident Barry Page who is a member of the Nanango branch of the South Burnett Residents Action Group (S-BRAG).
Mr Wall told southburnett.com.au the petition would be tabled at the next Council meeting on May 13.
Mr Page said the petition called for a halt of the Nanango Streetscape project until ratepayers have had a “full opportunity to express their opinions” on the project.
“This ongoing waste of ratepayers’ money must stop until proper consultation has been done,” Mr Page said.
“The Mayor has had a chat with selected businesses in Nanango but what about the rest of the shop owners and importantly the people who live in town?
“The branch had its monthly meeting at the Darts Club and the streetscape issue was passionately discussed.
“There was mention of branch actions being carried out to highlight the Council’s inept handling of this issue, so I took it upon myself to get out there and actually ask the people, and shop owners, what they really thought.
“While I was out, I asked if they would like to sign my petition, and almost 100 per cent did.
“The response was amazing and, in such a short amount of time, to gather so many signatures it was reassuring that I was far from alone with such disgust at Council’s handling of this project.
“We all know Nanango could do with a facelift, but losing its proud heritage of being the 4th oldest town in Queensland should not be the aim.
“We don’t need 16 flag poles or massive concrete areas, we just need parking spaces in the main street and affordable rates to encourage more shops to open in town.
“Many of our residents are seniors and just cannot carry their shopping to a car park located away from the CBD.
“The Mayor just doesn’t seem to care or even want to listen to people’s concerns.”
* * *
Petition:
To the Mayor and CEO of the South Burnett Regional Council:
The plans for the Nanango Streetscape have changed significantly from when it was first discussed and commented on by local businesses and residents. This new plan is causing a significant impact on local businesses and their patrons through:
- Decreased parking
- Increased inconvenience to patrons
- Reduced takings in businesses
Residents are also concerned about the cost and benefits of the streetscape as it appears that the main works are related to road works not beautification as originally planned.
There is some angst about the lack of consultation throughout this process with local businesses and residents.
Therefore, we, the undersigned residents and ratepayers of Nanango formally request that any future work on the streetscape be stopped immediately until comprehensive consultation and agreement is undertaken through a public process.
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- Upgrade For Fitzroy St Crossings
- Drayton Street Upgrade Starts Soon
- Bus Stop On The Move
- Henry Street Ready By Christmas
- Drayton Street Redesign Planned
- New Angle On Nanango Parking Woes
- Nanango Lights The Way
- Nanango Streetscaping Finished By Year’s End
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- Plum Job Ahead For Highway
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Well done Barry,
Over 400 signatures were gathered in a very short amount of time and many residents and business owners have great angst with what the Council has done, and continue to do to the town, without any real community input.
It is a shame, but all this could have been avoided if some consideration and thought was put into what can and should be done to help Nanango, instead of just pushing through some idealogical grand scheme to upgrade the town to something beyond its proud & majestic heritage.
With the Mayor running around changing the plans almost daily, who knows what we will end up with, the traffic consequences, shopping convenience and more importantly the overall cost to ratepayers, when it all has to be ripped up and changed due to lack of foresight & proper planning.
I wish that some people would not try to use the streetscape program for their own political ambitions. I have been waiting for around 20 years for the Main Street to be upgraded. We are finally seeing some progress and I am looking forward to seeing a nicer area to work in.
No one is complaining about having the actual street upgraded it is more to do with the changing of plans half way though the upgrade and the undoing and redoing of areas which is a complete waste of ratepayers money. This upgrade as cost far more money than initially budgeted for, in a time when levies and rates and continually making rates a bill that a lot of people are finding hard to meet. Get a plan/submit it, discuss with public, finalise plan and do it.
Why did you put your name on our petition, Jane?
Because like others I felt I was pressured into it.
There was no pressure on anyone to sign our petition. It was entirely a matter of choice. A very small number of people who were approached chose not to sign and we respect their decision.
There have been enough opportunities to ask questions about and to comment on the streetscape. The plans have always been in the Nanango council office and it is very easy to request and get a meeting with local councillors for further clarification.
Waiting until someone shoves a petition under you nose to do anything doesn’t really say anything about your commitment. And since the last census has about 4,000 people living in Nanango, does a petition with 400 signatures really represent the majority?
Stopping the work now is a waste of time and money. As a resident and rate payer for over 20 years I think it is about time something was done to improve the town. As for parking, the plan in the council chambers shows 30 car parks in Drayton Street between Henry and Fitzroy Streets and I am very pleased the centre car parks are going. I don’t drive down Drayton Street any more after nearly being rammed several times by people reversing out of the centre car parks. (Yes it is illegal)
As for the Henry Street end of Drayton Street the installation of the traffic lights meant the removal of those centre parks. The street lights are on the intersection of two highways and are the responsibility of the Department of Transport and Main Roads (State Government, not local government). As for the reduced takings in businesses, the council is not responsible for where you choose to spend your money. Nobody seems to have any problems getting to the bakery.
I agree. The CBD upgrade has hardly been a secret over the last 18 months and there have been a lot of public consultation efforts going on during that time. This group chose not to get involved in any of them. So now the work is in the final stretch, it’s obvious this is really just a grandstanding political stunt. They have no genuine interest in this at all.
And I wonder how many of the “names” on the petition either don’t live in Nanango, or turn out to live in Nanango cemetery? The last time Grant got up a petition – to save the camphor laurel trees – half the people who signed it lived in Brisbane. I’m willing to bet a close inspection will turn up a lot of fakes in this effort too.
It would appear that the supporters of the streetscape have found their voice, but not our hearts and wallets. These projects only drain necessary capital from roads, reticulation and the basic services necessary for the daily well-being of every resident, not only in Nanango but across the entire shire. These projects significantly increase council rates and charges whilst producing no measurable gain in either employment, wealth or ease the rates burden thrust upon the general population. To suggest there has been no opposition to not only Nanango’s streetscape debacle, but all of these unnecessary and costly projects often labelled essential to this shire’s future under the gist of the tourism entertainment industry banner, is simply wrong. The actual cost to rate payers of these projects, indeed any accurate accountability related to council operational costs available for public examination, are confined to little more than a public chook feeding exercises whilst the adoption of a ‘don’t you worry about that’ policy contradicts council’s openness and transparency claims. Council needs only allow public excess to its financial records to quiet discontent amongst ratepayers.
Do any of the people mentioned in this article who went to the Council meeting to hand this petition actually work? How can a bunch of people who don’t work (presumably because the Council meeting was during the day) represent truthfully the people & businesses of Nanango?
Firstly our only role for the people and businesses of Nanango, was to assist them by taking a petition to the people of our town and over 400 signed it. The petition requests that any future work on the streetscape be stopped immediately until comprehensive consultation and agreement is undertaken through a public process . Regarding my employment status, I spent 46 years in the workforce, at times working and living in places where you would not want to go. I am working casually at the present time. Regardless, how can you judge somebody’s honesty or whether they are truthful because of their employment status?.The petition we presented to the CEO.was supported by people from all walks of life including retirees, business people, average working people and probably some unemployed people.
It is because most people work that you did not receive 400 people at the meeting. Instead you received the signed petition and a few representatives present it.
Sorry to have to burst your political conspiracy theory Jane, but just because I am a member of a local group or involved in helping someone, does not make it political. Anything I wish to make political I will prominently and proudly display that is my intent. Never hidden from it – never will.
I am just like the overwhelming majority of the South Burnett, a disgruntled ratepayer and seriously concerned with the direction this Council is taking this Shire financially. (Especially as they were about to borrow over $9 million which ratepayers will have to pay back + interest which will inevitably drive rates up even further).
As for pressure to sign, I watched Barry’s work on this – certainly no pressure put on anyone to sign. I believe a business person such as yourself with strong opinions, work ethics and many years of experience is far too wise to be pressured into signing anything you don’t want to.
As for Rod’s attempt to discredit Barry’s survey, once again, sorry Rod, the survey re the removal of mature camphor laurel trees I did was local and also an online one and certainly did attract outside attention. The survey Barry has done was a good old fashion retro style, all on foot & all local people on the street and all done in only a few days. I didn’t ask a single person to sign it… I was handing out S-BRAG’s latest newsletter mostly.
It is wonderful to see so many local people taking an interest in their town and wanting to see the upgrade done correctly and cost effectively.
Wow, I don’t live in Nanango but use a lot of services there. Dr Morgan is my only GP. The hardware, bakery, Nanango Spare Parts get a lot of business off us. The fruit shop, chemists, pubs, just to name the ones I mostly use. I cannot walk far and love the centre parks. I bide my time and move from one to another. Never seen anyone nearly have an accident yet. If you learn patience you will not have a problem. There are a lot of us oldies that cannot walk far.
It is feasible that in a town the size of Nanango that 400+ people may well frequent the business centres of town in one day considering these people may well be self-employed, shift-workers, retirees, farmers and yes, even business owners. This scenario would also apply to people who attended the recent council meeting. If this petition had reached the 4000 residents this outmatch would have gone strongly against streetscape and across the shire would be catastrophic. The only supporters for these projects are a small well-connected grouping of social aristocrats seeking self-gratification at ratepayers’ expense. The expectation that people will accept financial liability for unpopular decisions forced on them without question belongs to yesteryear.
All this stuff about lack of public consultation is bunkum. As pointed out, the plans were on public display at the council office for over a year. There was also a display in Drayton Street seeking public comment before things started. There have been at least two public consultation meetings I know about. Why didn’t the people who are now complaining when the job is almost over have their say earlier? Is it really such a big surprise or have they just latched on to something to make a big noise about before the next council elections.
I don’t recall any public consultation meetings taking place. I do recall an invitation for business people being invited to attend a meeting.
So you walked around for over a year completely unaware of what was happening in the community you live in and somehow that’s now everyone else’s fault? Sorry, no points.
Bill in response to assumption regarding the upon coming council election.
A schooner close hauled to windward in a force ten gale the decks awash the gunwale under and shipping water, The order from the bridge is lay sail on to an already over canvassed ship. The schooners bow can no longer rises to meet the oncoming seas, she flounders sliding below the waves into the abbess. Traditional methods of storms survival at sea being to reduce sail turn and run before or heave to and allowing the gale to pass. Should the good ship South Burnett renew that command.
Rose oppression to these extravagances commenced upon conception only to be dismissed as unpatriotic foolish nonsense by small number of single minded self indulgent social aristocrats.