November 5, 2020
South Burnett Regional Council will be part of a new economic development body made up neighbouring councils, Mayor Brett Otto announced at the KCCI breakfast on Thursday morning.
The “Southern Queensland Country Council Alliance Of Mayors” would consist of six councils.
Mayor Otto said the South Burnett was forging very strong links with councils from Noosa to Fernvale.
“We are forming a new alliance which will bring in Noosa, Gympie, Cherbourg, South Burnett, Somerset and Lockyer Valley (councils),” he said.
“That forms a big rainbow over the top of the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
“If you push north out of those heavily burgeoning populated areas, you come into the South Burnett …
“We are part of that big network and I think that’s where a tremendous opportunity for all of us is, in that big strip that surrounds the top of that massive population growth area around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.”
Mayor Otto said Council was also working on a “development incentive policy” which would be considered later this month.
“We believe it is going to be at the forefront of development in regional Queensland … it’s going to spark a new demand for commercial, industrial, residential and agricultural development across our region,” he said.
He said the SBRC was “on the front foot” in lobbying government to bring water infrastructure to the region and had the best relationship with the State Government “for decades”.
“Another thing we are really pushing hard for is food processing,” he said.
He believed this was a tremendous opportunity due to the South Burnett’s proximity to ports and diversity of agriculture.
“This going to be great decade – the 2020s – for the South Burnett as there are a lot of great things happening,” he said.
