September 23, 2021
South Burnett Regional Council will transfer a 2.679ha block of land to Gympie Regional Council to help tidy up the border between the two regions.
Councillors were told the change has been requested by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.
The block in question is a small parcel of land bounded by State Forest that forms part of a much bigger property located entirely in the Gympie Region.
It is not serviced by a road or any other infrastructure, and the owner pays more in South Burnett levies than they do in rates.
The department said ceding the block to Gympie Regional Council would simplify the border between the two regions, and the loss of rates revenue was not regarded by the Change Commission – which oversees all changes to council boundaries – as a sufficient reason to oppose the request.
Councillors agreed to offer no objection to the transfer.
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The South Burnett’s 2022 Australia Day Awards ceremony will be held at Blackbutt Showgrounds on Sunday afternoon, January 23.
The decision to move the event from Nanango to Blackbutt was made at the SBRC’s Finance Standing Committee meeting last week, and ratified at Wednesday’s General Meeting.
The location of the awards ceremony rotates among South Burnett’s towns each year, and Nanango’s turn had been scheduled for 2022.
However, Councillors were told that because 2023 will mark Nanango’s 175th anniversary, residents had requested the town’s turn to host the Awards ceremony be postponed 12 months to coincide with the celebrations.
Since Blackbutt had been scheduled to follow Nanango, Councillors promoted it up the list to accommodate this request.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Councillors debated using either Blackbutt Memorial Hall or Blackbutt Showgrounds as the venue.
Officers said the Hall had a maximum COVIDSafe capacity of around 120, while the Showgrounds had a capacity of 500.
They also reported this year’s Awards ceremony at Wondai Town Hall had accommodated 200 guests under COVIDSafe conditions, but other guests had been forced to wait outside on the lawn.
Councillors thought the 2022 ceremony was unlikely to attract a smaller crowd, and opted for the Showgrounds unanimously.
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A Keysland farmer who applied for the permanent closure of an unformed road near their property, as well as part of Steinhardt’s Road, will be offered a permit to occupy the land instead.
At September’s Infrastructure Standing Committee meeting, officers said Council had received a request to permanently close both roads.
However, they recommended against this course of action.
This was because the long-term use of the sections of road was unknown and the closure might affect any future interconnection of roads, any necessary future infrastructure and any potential new development in the area.
Instead, they recommended the applicant be offered a Permit To Occupy the land instead.
This would allow the applicant to achieve their aims but keep Council’s future options open if they were ever needed.
On Wednesday, Councillors agreed to this unanimously.
The Department Of Natural Resources and Mines – and the farmer – will be advised of the decision later this month.
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The South Burnett could become the second Council in Queensland to declare a climate emergency.
At Wednesday’s General Meeting, the Council received a petition calling on it to join other Australian governments in working on measures to mitigate climate change.
At present, Noosa Shire Council is the only Queensland council to declare a climate emergency.
But many other councils from every State in Australia have joined, and there now are only two capital city councils that have not: the City of Perth (which has yet to vote on it) and the City of Brisbane (which voted against it).
At Wednesday’s monthly meeting, Councillors voted to receive the petition and refer it to CEO Mark Pitt.
He will deliver a report so the issue can be discussed at a future meeting.
