March 4, 2021
South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto is seeking more information about the extra $2.8 million added to the Kingaroy Transformation Project’s budget late last year.
The decision, made at November’s General Meeting on a 4-3 vote, increased the project’s cost from $11.1 to $13.9 million.
Mayor Otto’s question follows the receipt of a 500-signature petition at last week’s General Meeting.
The petition, organised by the South Burnett Residents and Ratepayers Group, asked Council to reverse its decision to approve the increase.
At Wednesday’s Infrastructure Committee meeting, Mayor Brett Otto asked staff to prepare a report outlining what impact the KTP budget expansion could have on Council’s road resealing program.
“In relation to the additional $2.8 million that Council resolved to fund out of the capital budget, there was some discussion in a community consultation reference group meeting about the fact that some of that was coming from restricted cash,” Mayor Otto said.
“So can I ask the question – and please feel free to take this on notice – how much of that $2.8 million is coming from restricted cash and what impact will that have on the resealing program for other roads around the region moving forward?
“Will the capital expenditure that had initially been put in place be delayed or changed as a result of that additional allocation to Kingaroy?”
Infrastructure General Manager Aaron Meehan said he would take the question on notice.
He said he understood a Request For Information covering similar matters had already been lodged with Council.
- Related article: Kingaroy Project Hits $13.9m
I am very keen to hear their response to your query, Mayor Otto. I have watched that part of the video from the Infrastructure Meeting – sound debate. Thank You.
Methinks the 2.8 mil would be better spent improving the Byee Road?!
Surely, when the accountancy business owner, the elected Mayor, asks questions over the validity of millions of public funding being moved away from matters like roads surely something simply put, fails the Pub Test.
When these, and frankly ALL, public-funded spending is questioned constantly, especially over one Town, one centralised sector of one Town and the businesses gaining moreso than the general public, perhaps there is merit in the questions deserving answers…
Folks should thank the Mayor in this space for bringing the questions to the internal Council table for the public to, at least hopefully, get some answers to their questions… maybe.