Council Drafts $8m Streetscape Plan

A proposal to build an urban plaza in Glendon Street, Kingaroy, has been dropped from Council’s application to the Building Better Regions Fund

November 7, 2018

The South Burnett Regional Council is seeking $4 million from the Federal Government to get its much-discussed Kingaroy CBD Revitalisation plan off the ground.

If successful, Council will add $4 million of its own funds to the project.

At a special meeting held on Wednesday, Councillors voted to apply for $4 million from Round 3 of the Building Better Regions Fund.

Council’s $4 million contribution will be made up of:

$2 million loan from Queensland Treasury, which it drew down earlier this year

$1 million previously earmarked for the revitalisation project, and

$1 million which will be diverted from this year’s inner-city road sealing program.

Mayor Keith Campbell said the scope of works would be determined by final costings, which were being prepared.

But if possible, the $8 million would be spent on:

Refurbishment of the Hector Munro car park behind the Commonwealth Bank in Kingaroy Street

Revitalisation of Haly Street between Kingaroy and Youngman streets

Revitalisation of Kingaroy Street to the Kingaroy and Alford street intersection

Revitalisation of Alford Street West, between Kingaroy and Youngman streets

Street trees planted throughout the CBD

Caravan parking bays in Glendon Street, opposite Kingaroy Shoppingworld

The proposal to upgrade Glendon Street with an urban plaza will not form part of this proposal.

Mayor Campbell said Council’s submission would address BBRF’s funding criteria, focussing on job creation and the project’s ongoing economic development benefits.

The application has to be lodged by November 15.

If successful, work would need to be finished and the funding acquitted by December 31, 2021.

During the recent Council “Listening Tours”, Cr Terry Fleischfresser said the revitalisation project would only go ahead if there was an “enormous amount of money” coming in from a Federal or a State grant.

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The decision to apply for $4 million in Round 3 of the BBRF comes after Council’s application for $2 million in Round 2 was declined in June.

At its October meeting, Council decided not to pursue another $2 million loan from Treasury which it had included in its 2018-19 Budget for the Kingaroy revitalisation project.

This loan had been based on the Round 2 BBRF application being successful and would have been added to the $3 million already set aside.