Supermarket Project Advances ... Slowly

20160520 Supermarket — Breezeway Developments’ new supermarket at Jandowae … a proposal for a similar supermarket at Blackbutt is still slowly progressing

June 15, 2016

The South Burnett Regional Council will partner with the Blackbutt-Benarkin Community Council to seek grant funding after the Blackbutt Memorial Hall is relocated to a new site near Nukku Nook.

The grant monies will be used to construct a sealed 22-bay parking area next to the Hall, along with other improvements to the exterior and grounds.

The Blackbutt-Benarkin Community Council operate the Memorial Hall under an arrangement the group struck with the SBRC in 2012.

On Wednesday, the Council began the process of shifting the hall by granting a development permit to allow the structure to be relocated.

The relocation of the hall to a spot in Bowman Road between the Taromeo Rural Fire Brigade’s shed and the Blackbutt Showgrounds will allow Breezeway Developments Pty Ltd – the company undertaking the work – to clear the hall’s current site at the corner of Coulson and Muir Streets.

Once the hall has been sucessfully relocated, the Council will give the company title to the two blocks the Hall formerly occupied.

This will allow Breezeway to build a modern supermarket there.

At Wednesday’s SBRC meeting, Mayor Campbell said the Council wanted to assist the Blackbutt-Benarkin community achieve what the majority of residents said they wanted – a supermarket.

He said the project had been delayed because of the need to gain permission from some State Government departments, such as Main Roads.

A development application for the supermarket is currently being assessed by Council and work on moving the hall will not begin until the project has been approved by all relevant bodies.

“(Beezeway) is responsible for ensuring the relocated hall complies with building legislation, is connected to all services and is fully operational,” Mayor Campbell said.

As part of the move, new internal toilets will be built and existing roof leaks repaired by Breezeway, which will improve the hall and save Council the maintenance costs.

The Hall’s relocation will be overseen by Council’s Building Certifier to ensure it meets all legislative requirements.

Mayor Campbell said future capital costs at the site and external works to the building will be required to benefit the community.

But that infrastructure would be funded from the Council’s capital budget to lessen the burden on ratepayers.

And where possible, the Council would seek grant funding for major improvements like the sealed carpark.

Cr Spud Jones said he’d received criticism from a few residents that there didn’t seem to be any movement on the project.

He understood local frustrations about the delay, but because external Government agencies were involved Council had no option except to wait for them to do their work.

But he promised the Council would hold a public meeting in the near future when “all the boxes have been ticked”.

This would allow Timbertowns residents to see concept drawings of the relocated hall and the new supermarket for themselves.

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