September 10, 2015
Murgon shopkeepers may be wearing cowboy hats around the end of October if the Murgon Business and Development Association (MBDA) can persuade them to.
At the MBDA’s monthly meeting on Thursday night, members heard how the organisers of the annual Murgon Music Muster would like CBD traders to get more involved in the event.
Some ideas suggested to the meeting included having buskers perform in Lamb Street while the Muster was running at the Murgon Showgrounds; and having traders wear cowboy hats for at least as long as the event was running (29 October to 1 November), and perhaps for several days beforehand as well.
MBDA president Leo Geraghty said he’d noticed that buskers performing in Blackbutt’s Coulson Street during that town’s annual Bloomin’ Beautiful Blackbutt Festival had made a great contribution to the festive atmosphere.
Other members said they’d seen similar “buy-ins” by the local business community at other festivals outside the South Burnett, and said the involvement of a whole town in a major event had left them with a very positive impression.
The meeting was told some traders had expressed the view that because the Muster was held at the PCYC several blocks from the CBD and attracted many caravanners, they received little direct benefit from the event.
Against this, other members reminded the meeting the town’s 48-hour free camping grounds were also located away from the CBD, but had bought considerable financial benefits to traders since they were introduced.
The meeting resolved to look at where inexpensive cowboy hats could be sourced.
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The public toilets in Queen Elizabeth Park have recently been vandalised and needed some urgent attention from Council.
Someone had recently put paint on some of the inside walls and – at the moment – they were “a disgrace” that reflected poorly on Murgon in the eyes of visitors, MBDA members were told.
Cr Kathy Duff reminded the meeting Council had painted the inside of the toilets with a special anti-grafitti paint so vandalism attacks could be cleaned up easily.
But she agreed clean public amenities were important for both locals and visitors, and said she’d look into the latest attack immediately.
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The MBDA will encourage Murgon residents to become more involved in the South Burnett Regional Council’s annual Christmas Lights competition, even though no-one in Murgon currently sells Christmas lights.
At Thursday night’s meeting members were told local participation in the competition had always been lower than Kingaroy and Nanango.
Some thought at least part of the reason was that Christmas lights weren’t readily available at local retail outlets.
“This might be an opportunity for someone to stock up on them ASAP,” president Leo Geraghty said.
“With big prizes on offer this year, we’d like to see more locals in with a chance.”
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The change rooms at the new $1.1 million Murgon Aquatic Centre – which will open next month – should offer private rather than communal facilities, the MBDA believes.
At Thursday night’s meeting, members were told that at present the new change rooms are open rooms without any partitions to ensure privacy.
While there are separate change rooms for men and women, MBDA members thought open format change rooms would pose problems if swimming carnivals came to town to take advantage of new centre.
Cr Kathy Duff said she’d heard two different stories about the matter.
On the one hand, she’d been told by Council officers some form of partitioning would be installed in the new change rooms; and on the other, she’d been told by a local there were no partitions in place.
She agreed patrons who wanted some privacy while they changed might find a communal layout disconcerting, and said she’d look into the matter and report back.
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A Cultural Concert featuring popular Cherbourg band Muddy Flats and the Wakka Wakka Dancers will be held at the Bjelke-Petersen Dam from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on Saturday, October 3.
Cr Kathy Duff told MBDA members the concert was being held as part of this year’s South Burnett And Cherbourg On Show long weekend festival.
Kingsley Grove Winery would be attending, and so would several stallholders.
Earlier the same day, the Queensland Dairy Industry Museum in Sommerville Street would be holding a Heritage Day from 9:30am to 2:00pm.
While final arrangements were still being put in place, it promised to be something quite special this year, she said.
Moffatdale Ridge Wines and Clovely Estate would also be doing some special things as part of the October long weekend festivities.
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The MBDA will hold all its meetings at 6:30am from now on.
Thursday’s meeting was told the MBDA’s executive felt they had no other choice because breakfast meetings attracted roughly triple the attendance evening meetings did.
The group’s next meeting will be held at Raj’s Cafe in Lamb Street at 6:30am on Thursday, October 8.
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann will be a special guest speaker.
He will be discussing the new business opportunities the Kingaroy-Murgon Rail Trail will bring to Murgon, and explore various ways local traders might be able to take advantage of them.
New MBDA members are always welcome – membership is only $66 per year, including GST – and more details can be obtained from MBDA Secretary Margaret Long on (07) 4168-2922, 0413-488-418 or by email.
