January 12, 2016
The Murgon Business and Development Association’s (MBDA) confidence that bleak business conditions at the start of 2015 would improve appears to have been well-founded.
At the group’s Annual General Meeting held in Murgon on December 10, President Leo Geraghty cited record cattle prices, good rainfall for summer crops, record attendances at Bjelke-Petersen Dam, a major increase in the town’s business and residential development, and new extensions at the Queensland Dairy Industry Museum as good reasons for optimism.
He also praised the town’s community, its many volunteers and the association’s members for their dedication to supporting local volunteer-run facilities and events.
Mr Geraghty gave special thanks to the South Burnett Regional Council for building the new $1.1 million Jubilee Swimming Pool, and for the work it had carried out on the beautification of the town’s central park and skate board park areas.
He said he was looking forward to seeing the completed plans for the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail, especially the section from Murgon to Kingaroy.
Mr Geraghty also paid special tribute to former Murgon Mayor Bill Roberts, who had served as the MBDA’s Treasurer for many years but has recently retired.
In closing, Mr Geraghty said the MBDA’s main concerns over the coming year would be to see Murgon get its share of new development; the maintenance of all the town’s facilities; further promotion of tourism at Bjelke-Petersen Dam; establishing more small industries; and putting houses on the town’s residential estates.
MBDA office bearers for 2015-16 are Leo Geraghty (President), John Robinson (Vice-President), Margaret Long (Secretary) and Mark Smith (Assistant Secretary).
MBDA Committee Members for 2015-16 are Paul Pratt, Gary Long, Lance Rae, Paul Halse and Katie Zerner.
Margaret Long and Mark Smith will jointly manage the role of Treasurer until a person is appointed to fill the position.
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President’s Report 2014-15
Murgon and our surrounding districts are enduring tough and changing times, but the recent rain and storms have set up our community for good summer crops.
We have again worked closely with our Council, attending a significant number of meetings to gain the best possible future for an expanding population, and a very progressive community.
Special thanks must be acknowledged to the South Burnett Regional Council for the building of our new Jubilee Swimming Pool and Aquatic centre.
Our whole community should be proud of our town and its achievements and be a part of it, and with your help continue to improve the local economy and our quality of life.
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Most of our meetings during the year have been well attended, especially our breakfast meetings, and we look forward to further input from our members in the coming months – together we can do great things.
Our Christmas Fair this year is going to be our 22nd, with new prizes on offer and new entertainment, and we wish to thank the business community for their valued support.
We have seen record attendances at Bjelke-Petersen Dam and Boondooma Dam during this past year and Murgon has thrived on tourism with its world class scenic views, first class sporting facilities, the wine and olive industries and the Queensland Dairy and Heritage Museum.
Constant cattle sales with record prices plus the special yearly weaner sales have been welcome too.
We in Murgon excel in promoting these opportunities as well as our courteous and friendly nature.
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Although we have some shops to fill, there has been a major increase in town development with new businesses and new houses being constructed and further extensions at the Museum.
Once again during this past twelve months we have sadly lost some of our great community workers, volunteers and family members and we extend our sympathy to all these families.
We are currently printing a minimum of 3300 copies, 48 pages and have now printed 113 monthly issues since enlarging your local newspaper, The Murgon Moments, which now has a major part in colour.
It is our job to ensure it continues, and I’d like to give special thanks to our newspaper experts, script writers, the many story tellers, and the committee for backing this, along with Mick Kemp and Darryl and Lyn Koy who deliver the newspaper to Murgon township and outlying areas.
I would like to especially thank our hard working Secretary, Margaret Long, and all office bearers and promotional committees, particularly our Christmas Fair committee, along with all those who presented reports to our meetings.
I look forward to further working with you.
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It would also be remiss of me not to acknowledge Mr Bill Roberts for his many years of input and service as our treasurer.
With the retirement of Mr Roberts we need to appoint a new treasurer to help with the workload of the secretary.
With everyone’s help and generosity, we believe we will remain a major player in the promotion of a progressive and friendly Murgon.
We also wish to thank the volunteers for their commitment to our town at the Visitor Information Centre and the Museum, and those responsible for some of our major annual events including the Murgon Rotary Music Muster, major festivities at the wineries, the Murgon High School Annual Speech Night, South Burnett And Cherbourg On Show, the Heritage Day, the Moffatdale State School and Murgon Lutheran Church centenaries, the Murgon Men’s Shed, the Queensland Cycling Association, the many rugby league sporting events and many others.
Special thanks must go to Greg Griffiths and the council staff for their beautification of our central park and skate board park areas, and also to the commitment shown by our area representative Councillor Kathy Duff.
We look forward to seeing the completed plans for the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail, and especially the part from Murgon to Kingaroy.
We extend a very big thank you to all our Service Clubs, Police, Ambulance, SES, SB PCYC and security officers and to all concerned in promoting Murgon.
To all those wonderful people who created it and update it, Murgon is very grateful for our web site murgon.net.au and our facebook page. And Angelfield continues to be an enjoyable place for the Burnett Flyers with an average of 25 to 30 planes a month landing there.
We extend a warm welcome to all our new Murgon citizens and invite them to become part of our family.
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Murgon’s main concerns in the coming year will be to get our share of new development, the maintenance of all our facilities including further promotion of tourism at Bjelke-Petersen Dam, establishing further small industry and putting houses on our estates.
During the year we were honoured to welcome our friends from Dodewaard in the Netherlands and the Tiernan families to Murgon at Patrick Tiernan’s 71st anniversary.
A CD is being produced and will be available shortly.
A special large photo of the Murgon CBD (never seen before) was also produced and is on sale at the Murgon Visitor Information Centre.
The forthcoming local Council elections will see the retirement of some councillors and the election of some new members, and we look forward to working with them.
I have enjoyed my time in the position but remember: new blood can only help.
So if you believe we are heading in the wrong direction or you would like to lead this organization, now is the time to tell us.
Have a safe and wonderful Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!
Leo Geraghty
President,
Murgon Business and Development Association
Good wages drive demand, in turn driving business growth production and employment. The overriding concern for working Australians is the erosion in income purchasing power and employment conditions. Little thought has ever been given to effect government policies have on low income earners and the flow-on that filters through the economy as spending contracts.
The real losers will be the hundreds of thousands of small businesses and their employees as taxes increase and falling income takes hold, driving down economic activity. Of all the industries, tourism and retail are the most vulnerable to spending restraint as people actively take measures to maintain their living standards through discretionary shopping.
Wages are the key economic driver of all forms of industrial and agricultural activity. And if wages fall or inflation suppresses spending, demand for goods and services fall in line with wage decline.
The philosophies employed by bankers and the financial think tanks today are geared to wealth accumulation and the withdrawal of wealth from circulation. Tax, the police force of economic distribution, once played a significant role in wealth circulation but now appears to have succumbed to the conservate ideology of trickle-down economics. Taxes are now directed downward, suppressing wealth redistribution whilst supporting tax evasion and excessive wealth accumulation.