May 13, 2015
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann has described as “nonsensical” a suggestion put forward in a petition that streetscaping work in Nanango be immediately halted.
At today’s Council meeting, councillors formally accepted the petition from the Nanango branch of the South Burnett Residents Action Group (S-BRAG) calling for an immediate halt to the streetscape work.
The petition, which contained more than 400 signatures, was given to Council CEO Gary Wall by Nanango resident Barry Page after last month’s Council meeting had closed.
State Government funding of $290,000 has supported the Nanango project, which is due to be completed within the next few months.
In a statement released this afternoon, Mayor Kratzmann urged everyone to sit back and wait until the project is completed:
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Statement from the Mayor
There has been an enormous amount of interest shown in the upgrade of the Nanango CBD and I welcome everyone’s feedback.
Whilst there has been disruption to businesses over a period of time, the work has been done in conjunction with many other changes including the relaying of underground infrastructure and the installation of Nanango’s first ever traffic lights.
The new Scott Car Park is a wonderful addition to Nanango’s CBD, and Henry Street is now an inviting southern entrance to our pioneering town.
I do not agree with some suggestions that we have not consulted with businesses and the community.
That assertion is simply untrue.
What I do agree with is the project has taken longer than envisaged but most of the reasons for the delays were simply out of Council’s control.
My Council is committed to improving all our towns and with this in mind we chose Nanango to lead the way.
I am immensely proud of how the project has developed and urge everyone to sit back and wait until it is finalised, as I believe it will be a wonderful upgrade of a great country town when it comes to fruition.
The suggestion from some to stop the work in progress is simply nonsensical and would be a great loss of ratepayers’ money.
The actual costs of the project up to date are as follows:
- Roadworks – $593,435
- Scott Car Park – $627, 711
- Streetscaping – $466,670
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Nanango is the third street development with Murgon and Wondai’s either completed or awaiting complication.Unfortunately most people in the shire see this as little more then an expensive indulgence that this shire can ill afford. Consultation did not extend beyond the usual gathering of local aristocrats anxious to peddle their view of social grandeur at ratepayers’ expense, after all they the rate payers only pay the bills
Murgon is getting a swimming pool not a streetscape and Wondai’s Village Green is really an upgrade of Coronation Park after the rail lines were ripped out. So Nanango actually the first streetscape development (Henry, Fitzroy and Drayton streets plus a CBD car park). And from what I’ve heard, the only people who think this is “an expensive indulgence that this shire can ill afford” is you and the South Burnett Ratepayers Action Group. Nanango’s upgrade is long overdue and a great improvement.
Rod, so the works thus far undertaken in Murgon’s main street central park areas and Wondai’s Village Green were not streetscape.These works however are remarkably similar in all aspects to Nanango’s streetscape therefore are streetscapes. It must be disheartening that an aristocrat such as yourself to accept that the peasantry are unwilling to pay for these ill-conceive expensive indulgence this shire can ill afford. After all they only have to pay for it.
Hey Rod, are you not being a bit obtuse with your comment? If what has gone on in Murgon and Wondai is not streetscape the people of these towns are really going to feel left out and they would surely like to know what the council has planned for these towns. Perhaps you are privy to this information and would like to share it with us all. Come on Rod, come clean and tell us what you know.