April 19, 2018
The South Burnett Regional Council has given the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival a $6000 subsidy to attend an event marketing course run by Toowoomba consultants.
The Council will also be inviting the Pumpkin Festival to attend Regional Flavours at South Bank in July this year to promote the festival and Gympie region.
At Wednesday’s Council meeting, Cr Ros Heit queried why the South Burnett Council was supporting an event in Gympie Regional Council’s area.
Tourism portfolio chair Cr Danita Potter said opportunities to take part in the course and go to South Bank had been “put out there” and the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival said they wanted to participate.
Kingaroy BaconFest, which is due to be held for the first time later this year in Kingaroy, is receiving similar subsidies.
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The South Burnett Regional Council has agreed to cede a block of land bordering the New England Highway to Toowoomba Regional Council to correct an historical anomaly.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Councillors heard that a property owner near Yarraman owned two blocks of land which straddled both regions.
The Department of Natural Resources recommended moving one of them out of the South Burnett and into Toowoomba’s jurisdiction.
This could be done by realigning the border between the two regions to be the centre of the highway.
Corporate Services General Manager Peter O’May told the meeting the New England Highway was a natural border between both regions, but for some reason no one could now recall, the border swerved around one of the blocks to rope it into the South Burnett.
Councillors agreed to the Department’s request and the property – which had formerly generated $656 a year in rates – will now move into Toowoomba Regional Council’s area.
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A Tablelands property owner who was given a development approval to subdivide a block of land in Reifs Road 11 years ago has been told to get on with it.
Councillors heard at April’s meeting that a development approval for the project had first been issued on September 19, 2007.
The property owner had since requested some minor changes to the approval, along with an extension to January 2022.
Council officers recommended the requested changes be agreed to, but the request to extend the date be turned down.
Councillors agreed.
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Telstra customers in Wilkesdale may receive better service in the foreseeable future after the Council approved a development application for a Telstra telecommunications base station at this month’s meeting.
The base station will be built on Home Creek Loop Road, subject to standard conditions.
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Council’s Senior Economic Development Officer Craig Tunley met his North Burnett counterpart in Proston recently to discuss current projects, tourism, strategic planning and cross-border synergies, Mayor Keith Campbell told Wednesday’s meeting.
The meeting will pave the way for further cross-border collaboration, Mayor Campbell said.
A follow-up meeting will be held later this month at Eidsvold so Mr Tunley can inspect recent renovations to the RM Williams Centre.
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Council’s Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) program received two eligible applications in its latest round, requesting a total of $4929.
Arts portfolio chair Cr Danita Potter told April’s meeting the RADF Management Advisory Committee will now meet to assess the applications and make recommendations.
Their recommendations will be offered up for consideration by Councillors at the May Council meeting.
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Property portfolio chair Cr Fleischfresser was unable to deliver his monthly portfolio report at April’s meeting because it had not been written for him.
Cr Fleischfresser told the meeting the Council officer who normally wrote the report was on vacation.
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Parthenium infestations in Cherbourg Shire Council’s area pose a potential threat to landholders living downstream, Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff told Wednesday’s meeting.
However, the South Burnett Regional Council is working in partnership with Cherbourg Council to develop a five-year parthenium control strategy.
The SBRC will undertake the mapping, management plan and engaging contractors and Cherbourg Council will resource the project.
Giant Rats Tail grass and groundsel are also issues of concern in the Barambah Creek area, Cr Duff said, along with Water Hyacinth.
I am struggling to understand two items in this report on SBRC.
How can SBRC justify cutting community support and funding for not-for-profit volunteer organisations in their own region and yet provide $6000 to support a Festival Committee in another region?
How can a paid Councillor not know enough about his portfolio to be unable to provide a report to a monthly council meeting?
Was Cr Potter’s answer as to why an event outside the South Burnett was receiving financial support from this Council really because they simply just wanted to come? The SBRC is going to cut funds from our own community groups yet give funding to groups outside the region? If Cr Potter supports that, then she should consider her position in 2020 and perhaps let somebody else have a go.
What’s the difference between the SBRC and a circus? the circus has a programme.
Is it any wonder the general consensus is that this council has little ability to be in touch with reality…
You got that right Abigail. If it wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable. While they are stuffing around, our tourism industry is going from bad to worse.