February 19, 2020
A proposal to name a section of the D’Aguilar Highway after tennis legend Roy Emerson may not have succeeded on its second attempt, but the game is still afoot.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the South Burnett Regional Council, councillors were told Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey had rejected Council’s request to rename a stretch of the highway near Blackbutt “Roy Emerson Way”.
The campaign to rename a portion of the highway stretching from Kevin Allery Bridge to the north side of the Nukku Bridge after the Blackbutt-born tennis great was begun several years ago by the Blackbutt and District Tourism and Heritage Association (BDTHA).
When the Minister rejected BDTHA’s request, Council elected to reapproach him on the matter last July.
Councillors were told this effort had been no more successful than BDTHA’s attempt, and Council should now write to the Roy Emerson Museum to advise them of the outcome.
Division 2 Cr Gavin Jones said he was upset by the decision because other Queensland sporting greats were already recognised in a similar way.
But CEO Mark Pitt said what Councillors were voting on was to formally “close the loop” on the last submission, not abandon the campaign.
Mr Pitt said he believed the Minister had been incorrectly advised about Council’s intention, and may have thought Council was proposing a permanent name alteration which would involve residents needing to change their addresses, and emergency services to update their maps.
Instead, Council was proposing to simply use the name as an overlay – the same as Darren Lockyer Way, which is an 85km stretch of the Warrego Highway named after the Queensland rugby league legend, or Steve Irwin Way which is a local name for Glass House Mountains Road.
“Nothing would change for residents living along that part of the highway,” Mr Pitt said.
Councillors agreed to “close the loop”, but will reapproach the Minister on the issue at a future time.
- Related article: Roy Emerson Way Campaign Revived
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Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee South Road at Maidenwell will be renamed Beare Road after public consultation only drew one objection to the name change.
The proposal to rename the road came about because of difficulties emergency services personnel were having finding properties in the area.
Over the years, various mapping systems referred to the road by several names.
These included Pimpimbudgee Road, Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee Road and Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee South Road.
Council officers had originally suggested standardising the name as Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee Road.
But late last year Council received a group submission from local residents suggesting it be renamed Beare Road instead.
The Beare family were pioneers in the area who bought land adjoining the road a century ago.
After consulting with the Beare Road petitioners, Council put the question out to public consultation between mid-December and mid-January.
But after this only produced one submission opposing a name alteration, Councillors voted unanimously to make the change.
- Related article: Council Considers Shorter Road Name
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Two Kingaroy-based community groups have had their leases renewed by Council.
Councillors voted unanimously to renew the Kingaroy Junior Football Club’s lease over the club’s grounds in Oliver Bond Street, and the South Burnett Child Care Centre Association’s lease in Avoca Street.
Both organisations will pay Council $75 a year rent plus GST for the leased sites, but must pay for all rates, water, wastewater, electricity, telephone and data charges themselves.
Property portfolio chair Cr Terry Fleischfresser said he was happy with both leases, and congratulated Council’s Senior Lease Officer Leanne Petersen for preparing them.
He said Leanne had worked hard to get Council’s lease agreements standardised.
