November 17, 2016
The South Burnett Regional Council will soon be calling for a new scrap metal merchant, thanks to a collapse in international scrap metal prices.
Cr Roz Frohloff told Wednesday’s meeting that international scrap metal prices have been significantly depressed for some time, and this was forecast to continue into the foreseeable future.
Because of this, Council’s current contractor had turned down the opportunity to extend their current agreement.
Any new Scrap Metal Agreement with a new contractor is likely to be less financially favourable for Council than the existing one, which expires shortly.
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Vodafone and Optus have both been given development approval to erect 40 metre telecommunications towers.
At Wednesday’s Council meeting, Councillors gave Vodafone approval to erect a tower at 6883 Bunya Highway in Boyneside; and later gave Optus a separate approval to erect a similar tower at Somerset Street in Kingaroy.
Vodafone’s tower will have three panel antennas and a radio transmission disk.
Optus’ tower will be more densely packed, with three panel antennas, three dish antennas and twelve remote radio units.
The approvals were granted subject to the normal conditions that apply to telecoms towers.
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Council’s Property section has awarded a contract to Australian Asbestos Management to remove and replace the roof, fascia, gutters and flashings on the Kingaroy Men’s Shed building at Kingaroy Airport.
Cr Terry Fleischfresser told the meeting Council had also recently approved a $1500 contribution towards concreting the workshop floors.
Meanwhile, the Wondai Regional Art Gallery will be closed in mid-January for an indefinite period so its roof can be replaced.
Work will commence on January 16, Cr Fleischfresser said.
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A proposed new South Burnett Planning Scheme attracted very few submissions, and most were requests for zoning changes, Cr Fleischfresser told Wednesday’s meeting.
Public submissions on the Planning Scheme were open from August 2 to October 31.
Council is now required to consider every submission, which will likely happen early next year.
Council can either amend the proposed scheme to address issues listed in a submission or treat it as a drafting error, Cr Fleischfresser said.
If Council decides to amend the Planning Scheme, it will need to seek Ministerial approval before it can adopt the document, which will supercede the four old Shire Planning Schemes currently in use.
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The SBRC is concerned about the impact heavy trucks will have on the South Burnett’s road network if construction of AGL’s proposed Coopers Gap Wind Farm goes ahead.
It also wants the wind farm to meet the Queensland Wind Farm Code to ensure site impacts are mitigated.
The Council expressed its concerns in a submission to the Coordinator-General’s office on November 7 as part of the public consultation process for the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.
The Council has also made a submission on the draft Terms Of Reference on an Environmental Impact Statement for Moreton Resources’ proposed Kingaroy coal mine.
Councillors have previously indicated they are opposed to Moreton’s coal project.
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Shellytop and Maclean Roads at Durong – both a major source of complaints from residents who use them – are now being graded, Cr Spud Jones told Wednesday’s meeting.
A disused grid has also been removed from Shellytop Road, and drainage improvements to both roads have been scheduled to help minimise future washouts.
Isolated “melon holes” are also being repaired in the Durong area.
Grading and drainage improvements are continuing on Hodges Dip, Greystonlea and Deep Creek Roads near Ironpot, and maintenance grading is occurring on the Memerambi Barkers Creek Road.
Gravel resheeting is occurring on Flats, Beers, Kerkow, Wheatland Loop, Hamilton, Old Esk North, Oakey Creek and McCauley Weir Roads, and grading and spot gravelling will occur on Tim Shea and Upper Barkers Creek Roads.
Spot gravel maintenance has been scheduled for Behan, Maidenwell Pimpimbudgee and Wengen Creek Roads, and drainage structure repairs have been scheduled for the Maidenwell Bunya Mountains and Saddletree Creek Roads.
Widening of Kumbia Road west of the Stuart River Bridge is proceeding to plan, but work on the Blackbutt Crows Nest road has been delayed due to gravel quality issues.
Work will be carried out on other parts of this project while the gravel quality issue is resolved.
Work on the Kingaroy Barkers Creek road near Swickers is ongoing, and excavation for a large box culvert at Alford Street near Kingaroy’s Memorial Park is complete.
Council’s concrete construction crew are now working on the concrete base for the box culverts.
Meanwhile, piling works at Kings Bridge were completed last week, and are expected to be completed at Marshlands Bridge this week. The old bridges have been removed and sidetracks will be in operation until the two new bridges are finished.
