October 26, 2016
Good rainfall for crops, record high prices for cattle and growing tourist numbers have all helped boost Murgon over the last year, according to the Murgon Business and Development Association (MBDA).
At the group’s Annual General Meeting last week, MBDA president Leo Geraghty said while there were still a few empty shops in the main street, a number of new businesses had opened up and both the town’s hotels had undergone extensive refurbishments in the last year.
New houses are being built in the district, too, and the outlook for 2017 appears to be upbeat.
Mr Geraghty said the MBDA had a busy year itself, with well-attended breakfast meetings and many projects on the boil.
One of these – new town map signs – should be in place soon; and the Christmas Fair committee are also well advanced on plans for the town’s perennially popular Christmas carnival.
He also passed on the group’s thanks to the town’s volunteers who run the Visitor Information Centre and Queensland Dairy Industry Museum, and the event organisers who have arranged a packed calendar of community activities throughout the year.
The full text of Mr Geraghty’s report appears below:
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2016 MBDA President’s Report
Once again, Murgon and our surrounding districts are enjoying challenging and changing times.
The recent winter rains have set our community up for good summer crops, and our cattle producers have been receiving record prices never seen before.
We have continued to work closely with our council to gain the best possible future for our expanding population, and a very progressive community.
Our residents should be proud of our town and its achievements, and be a part of it to help continue to improve the local economy and our quality of life.
Most of our popular breakfast meetings during the year have been well attended, and we look forward to further input from members in the coming months, because together we can do great things.
We also extend a warm welcome to all our new Murgon residents and business owners.
Murgon’s main concerns in the coming year will be to get our share of new development, establish more small industry and put more houses on our estates.
In the last twelve months we’ve seen record attendances at Bjelke-Petersen Dam and Boondooma Dam.
The fishing at both dams has been excellent, which also encouraged many fishing competitions, and Murgon has thrived on tourism.
The 48 hour free camping ground in Murgon has also seen many thousands of dollars being spent in our community, and it has helped us promote our other caravan parks for an extended stay in the district.
Our next ambition is to become an RV friendly town, similar to some other local towns.
Angelfield also continues to be an enjoyable place for the Burnett Flyers, with new amenities and an average of 25 to 30 planes a month landing there.
While we still have few shops to fill, there has been a major increase in town development with a lot of new businesses being established, including a furniture shop and another bank.
New houses are also being constructed, and we’ve seen further extensions at the Museum and extensive facelifts and fit outs at our two major hotels.
I think everyone involved in these things deserves to be congratulated, and we wish you lots of success.
Once again during this past year we have sadly lost some of our great community workers, volunteers and family members, and we extend our sympathy to all of these.
Our town newspaper Murgon Moments is now in colour, and we are currently printing a minimum 3300 copies of 48 pages each month.
We’ve now printed 122 monthly editions since enlarging Murgon Moments 10 years ago, and it is our job to ensure this continues.
I’d like to pay special thanks to our newspaper experts, script writers, the many story tellers, and committee members for backing this local news production.
I’d also like to thank Mick Kemp and Darryl and Lyn Koy for delivering each issue to Murgon and outlying areas, along with our print setter Linda Urch and publisher Horton Media for their understanding and help.
Our long awaited large town map signs are now very close to completion, and they are receiving their finishing touches at Pro Graphics as I write this.
I would like to especially thank our hard working secretary Margaret Long, and all office bearers and promotional committees – especially our Christmas Fair committee – as well as those who presented reports to our meetings.
I look forward to working with all of you in the future.
We need to appoint a new treasurer to help to lift the workload off our secretary, but with everyone’s help and generosity I believe our organisation will remain a major player in the promotion of a progressive and friendly Murgon.
Our Christmas Fair committee has been hard at work this year organizing new entertainment, and we wish to thank the business community for their valued support and tremendous sponsorship.
I’d also like to thank the Visitor Information Centre and Museum volunteers for their commitment to our town, as well as those responsible for organising our major events.
They include the Murgon Rotary Music Muster, festivities at the wineries (such as Moffatdale Ridge’s Italian Festival and Dusty Hill’s Dusty Day Out), the Murgon State High School’s annual Speech Night and Senior Formal, South Burnett and Cherbourg On Show, the Heritage Working Day, the Murgon Men’s Shed, and sporting events – especially Gavin Cooper’s return visit to Murgon.
I must also pay tribute to the great walk from Gladstone to Kingaroy by local father and son team Trevor and Brett Otto earlier this year to raise funds for melanoma research.
And who could forget Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s visit, Ian Healey’s visit, the Indigenous Golf Tournament, the Burrumbuttock Hay Run, the Farmers Nights at Tablelands Hall, and many other wonderful days out, including our annual Murgon Show.
I’d also like to thank Greg Griffiths and the council staff for their beautification of our central park area and the skate board park this year, and acknowledge the commitment shown by our divisional representative, Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff.
I’m sure we all look forward to seeing the completion of the Kilkivan to Kingaroy rail trail, and especially the part from Murgon to Kingaroy.
This is also the time to extend a very big thank you to all our voluntary organisers, service clubs, police, ambulance, SES, South Burnett PCYC and security officers.
To those wonderful people Stacey Perrett and Lorraine Goodchild who created it and update it, Murgon is very grateful for our web site murgon.net.au and our Facebook page.
Congratulations are also due to our new Federal representative Llew O’Brien MP for being elected to represent us in Wide Bay, and for his commitment to the $400,000 lighting and security cameras, the extension to the Murgon Men’s Shed, and to the upgrade of acoustics at the South Burnett PCYC.
Congratulations as well to the local recipients of our region’s Australia Day Awards, and to sporting representatives who have achieved high honours.
Finally, to our region’s new councillors, we look forward to working with you.
I have enjoyed my time in this position but remember: new blood can only help.
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.
In the meantime, have a safe and wonderful Christmas, and a happy and prosperous New Year.
Leo Geraghty, President
Murgon Business and Development Association
