September 26, 2018
Durong resident Simon Stretton has again called on the South Burnett Regional Council to repair Shellytop and McLean roads urgently.
Simon, who owns the Durong Dingo Sanctuary in McLean Road, says the condition of the two roads is deterring tourists from visiting his property.
“All we want from our rates is that you provide safe and trafficable roads for us to drive on,” he wrote in an email to Councillors.
“Your lack of care is costing us in repairs to our vehicles and affecting the tourism industry so I request politely that you have a road crew out here as soon as possible.”
Simon told southburnett.com.au he had complained to Council for years to get the roads fixed.
In his email, he notes that he snapped a wheel off his Ford Transit van at one point, for which he blamed the road surface.
“When we belonged to the Wondai Shire Council our roads were graded right after our rate notices came out,” Simon wrote.
“Since the forced amalgamation our roads have been neglected badly out here until numerous ratepayers made complaints and then maybe something was done about it.
“I think it has been over two years since out roads were fully graded.
“The last time I was told by one of the contractors they (had been) instructed to give the roads ‘a light grade’. Well, wasn’t that a pathetic effort?
“Within two months all the corrugations were back again.
“It was a total waste of money and effort.
“I remember phoning Cr Gavin Jones and advised him of the state of the roads and how all the culvert drains had all been filled in by the front-end loader driver.
“There was no one overseering the work.
“Well, now the situation is much worse. The corrugations now run the full length of the roads. It is horrendous to drive on.
“I am doing my best to put Durong on the map with respect to my Dingo Sanctuary and to encourage tourists, visitors and the grey nomads to drop by as they pass through.
“Word has got out to not visit here any more because the severity of the corrugations are shaking the caravans in a terrible way.
“The people would always pull up in Kingaroy or Murgon, fill up their vehicles with fuel and top up their food supplies, then pass by here.
“So my sanctuary was helping the towns and tourism before they came here.
“Now no one comes here.
“I am struggling financially at the moment , so even with all the media coverage my Sanctuary has been receiving, no one wants to drive out here.
“So once again I hold SBRC responsible for the lack of care they have provided to the people living out here in Durong.
“It simply isn’t good enough, and we are all sick of the excuses the Council give us.”
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