March 19, 2020
The Coolabunia Saleyards held a million-dollar sale at the end of February.
Natural Resources portfolio chair Cr Kathy Duff told March’s South Burnett Regional Council meeting the saleyard’s first Store Sale for 2020 was held on February 28, and it attracted 964 head.
Of these, 919 were sold liveweight; a further 30 were sold at auction; and only 15 were passed in.
The sale generated total revenues of $1,002,398.
Cr Duff said saleyards staff inspected 2162 cattle during February; processed 1431 head through the dip; and sold 1445 head.
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Council will be upgrading several community facilities in Nanango soon.
Kingaroy Plumbing Works have been engaged to replace the oven in the Nanango Cultural Centre, and also upgrade the gas line to meet compliance standards.
Council have also appointed Paul Reeves Carpentry to refurbish two bathrooms at Nanango’s Brighthaven Units and another two bathrooms at the Drayton units.
Quotations have also been called to re-roof Ringsfield House in Alfred Street. These will close on March 31.
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In Wondai, contractors have been engaged to complete timber maintenance and painting of the Wondai Sportsground grandstand.
Work on this project will commence in April.
Council is also in the early stages of decommissioning old fuel tanks and removing two small buildings at the Wondai Depot.
The buildings and tanks are no longer required for Depot operations, and are not cost-effective to repair.
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The South Burnett’s two weekly parkrun groups have been very successful, Sports Portfolio chair Cr Roz Frohloff told the March meeting.
The Wondai parkrun group now draws an average of almost 50 participants each week, and on its biggest week drew a roll-up of 129, Cr Frohloff said.
The recently established Ros Gregor Trail parkrun group in Nanango has done even better, drawing an average 67 participants each week and as many as 134 on its biggest day.
In total, Wondai parkrunners have travelled 41,500km since the group was founded, and Ros Gregor Trail parkrunners 7360km.
The figures are drawn from parkrun’s systems, which automatically record participant numbers and distances travelled at each weekly meeting via barcodes.
“It’s great two have two parkruns in our region – one in the north and one in the south – which give residents and visitors the opportunity to get out and get active regardless of their age, gender, background or ability,” Cr Frohloff said.
Cr Kathy Duff told the meeting there was now interest in forming a third parkrun group in the Proston area.
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Cr Frohloff said plans are afoot to upgrade existing facilities at Kingaroy’s Bjelke-Petersen Sporting Precinct.
Council’s Sport and Recreation Officer and advisers from Sport and Recreation Queensland have been meeting with the Kingaroy Rugby League Club, Kingaroy’s AFL club, the Kingaroy senior and junior soccer clubs and Kingaroy’s senior and junior cricket clubs – which all use the precinct – to discuss possible future plans for the area.
Council intends to apply for State Government funding to carry out the project, and submitted an Expression Of Interest on March 6.
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The review of the Wide Bay Regional Plan is continuing with a second working group meeting held in Bundaberg on February 26.
Items discussed included water security, economic stimulus and disaster resilience.
It is anticipated that a draft regional plan will be available for public consultation by mid- to late-2020 with finalisation by early 2021.
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Council will be undertaking some major swimming pool repairs during the off-season.
Murgon Pool will receive a new vacuum cleaner and solar system; a new filtration system and solar system will be installed at Wondai Pool, and new aluminium grandstands will be located at the South Burnett Aquatic Centre in Nanango.
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The first Council Meeting after the March 28 election will be held from 9:00am on Wednesday, April 15, at the Kingaroy Chambers.
