September 18, 2019
Kingaroy’s new entry signs will be pork-free because the town is better known for peanuts.
At Wednesday’s monthly meeting, Councillors turned down a proposed amendment to the new sign’s design suggested by Cr Danita Potter, and seconded by Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff.
Cr Potter said she had been approached by several residents who felt the pork industry should be recognised on the sign.
Pork was a big industry in the region and Swickers was a major employer, she said.
Cr Terry Fleischfresser said he agreed with Cr Potter about the important role the pig industry played in the local economy.
However, he believed Kingaroy was best known Australia-wide for just two things: being the home of Australia’s peanut industry, and also the home of former Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Cr Duff disagreed.
“All the other town signs have several different local things on them, but Kingaroy only has peanuts,” she said.
Mayor Keith Campbell said the design of Kingaroy’s new sign had already been approved by the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), and had been put out for public information over several weeks.
If the project was delayed there was a real risk the signs would never be erected.
The Mayor said new signs had been promised for many years and if they were to be installed by early next year, it was important to give the go-ahead now.
Cr Potter’s motion to amend the Kingaroy sign’s design was put to the meeting, but defeated 4-3.
However, a proposal by Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff to modify the design of Murgon’s new town sign to substitute a “happy fish” in place of a “disturbed” fish was passed unanimously.
The 18 town and village entry sign sets are expected to cost $350,000, including installation.
Works For Queensland grant funds will meet $100,000 of the cost, and the balance will be funded by Council.
The new signs are expected to be in place by early 2020.
- Related article: Council Unveils New Town Signs
Maybe a brown paper bag would have been more fitting.
How many people are employed in the pork industry compared to the peanut industry? A bit of PC nonsense going on here, methinks. Not a good decision, councillors. Elections next year … bring them on.
This grossly stupid decision just shows the lack of observation, lived experience (really needed to be a half-decent councillor) and common sense, big time.
Once upon a time this area could be called a major peanut growing area, not any more! Hey do you councillors not get out of your restricted patch and observe? Finding a good peanut patch is becoming harder and harder. It’s easier to find a pig farm now and the pig processor is a very major part of our area and, might I say, the local location is a very needed big boon to the producers.
Just because KCCI approved it is not an excuse and that just shows their depth in the whole community thing.
The council must wake up and look at the whole community, where KCCI can get away with a “centralised” view, which it appears they do, the council just cannot and must not!
The council is spending at least 250 grand so I think they better wake up and do their jobs properly.
Granted, there is now a very large diversity of SB production and general interest. But to leave pork off is incredibly disrespectful of the many people who over many years have worked hard at establishing and promoting the industry to what it is today, and also investing heavily.
Many of our current councillors appear to live in a restricted bubble, generally talking only to the people that they know will agree with them.
I am not, and never have been, a pork producer.
I think you’re being too harsh, Disgruntled. Given repeated vegan protests outside Swickers during the past few years and the rise of on-farm activism, I’m sure there are a lot of pig producers who’d prefer to fly well under the radar and not have their presence trumpeted to the world. Peanuts don’t attract the rage of protesters, although they do (very rarely) kill people who are allergic to them.
There is a very detailed interactive map online with huge quantities of info available. Go to it, spend an hour or two and be very surprised at what level of information is available to the ratbag activists. This is satellite mapping, zoomable, and overlaid with info icons. Click on any one and get detailed information on that enterprise. It is so detailed {the mapping} that planning entry and escape could be done relatively easily.
So Rod, really! To suggest a sign is going to bring in the activists is similar to believing in fairies in the lower garden. The region needs to be proud of what we have and praise the people that are making it happen, in spite of what our useless State Govt. wants to bring down on us. This area still fully needs primary production of ALL sorts!!
Pork needs to be recognised. It doesn’t appear by magic on the plate. There is a huge chain of support enterprises including the workers that bring it all about. Pork out of the South and North Burnett would leave a gigantic hole.
In Kingaroy alone, take Swickers out and the town would suffer immensely.
Pork should be noted. After all it’s this commodity that makes Kingaroy more viable. Without the 800 or more people working for Swickers the South Burnett Council would be in dire straits. We should not be dictated to by a certain community. Kingaroy was pleased to promote the peanut era and now it should promote the pork era. I’m very disappointed with the Council’s decision.
To be blunt, peanuts are a part, yes, of the region however this mantra of being the idealistic “peanut capital” shifted long ago to the northern regions of Qld that produce far more than our region. Swickers fire and subsequent the efforts by State ALP Government, working with Council and Sunpork, should validate the region needs Pork far more than it’s given credit for. Astounding…..