June 23, 2021
A delegation from the South Burnett Regional Council is in Canberra this week to meet with Federal MPs and attend the Australian Local Government Association annual conference.
South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto was accompanied by Crs Kathy Duff and Kirstie Schumacher.
Mayor Otto said meetings had been organised with Regional Health Minister Mark Coulton, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, Energy Minister Angus Taylor and Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention David Coleman.
The South Burnett delegation also organised meetings with senior advisers to Water Minister Keith Pitt and Minister for Education and Youth, Alan Tudge.
Mayor Otto said the issues the delegation would be concentrating on included regional health, the “post-coal transition strategy” and economic development (ie. after Tarong Power Stations close), mental health and suicide prevention funding programs, Kingaroy’s “developing town water crisis”, and funding programs for youth support.
He said he hoped to access funding for a proposed regional mental health and suicide prevention program plus a new “Headstart” facility in the South Burnett for adult mental health and a “Headspace” centre for youth mental health.
The delegation sought $2.4 million for two teams of three people on the ground for three years,
Mayor Otto said he was also seeking support for the formulation of a “trilateral post-coal economic development plan” for the South Burnett.
He was also seeking support for a “trilateral capital funding arrangement” to address Kingaroy’s town water issue, including a major off-stream storage facility from the Boondooma pipeline, conversion of Gordonbrook Dam to irrigation, upgrade of the Gordonbrook spillway and the proposed Mount Wooroolin reservoir.
Opportunities would also be investigated for additional funding for youth support programs.
