February 28, 2023
South Burnett Regional Council will examine its policy on overgrown allotments to consider whether it should be expanded to include small rural residential lots located near town areas.
The decision was made at last Wednesday’s general meeting of Council after an extensive discussion at the recent Infrastructure Standing Committee meeting.
Cr Kathy Duff said she had received a number of complaints about overgrown rural residential blocks in the Proston Gardens area.
She believed these lots posed potential fire and vermin risks but said they were not captured by the Council’s current policy which only applied to residential blocks in designated town areas.
Cr Duff’s motion provoked discussion among Councillors about similar problems they had experienced in their own divisions, what lot sizes any policy change should apply to, and whether any change to the policy would have an impact on the rates property owners paid.
Cr Kirstie Schumacher said she had a number of rural residential blocks in her own division that were located close to Kingaroy’s town area, but these varied in size from less than a hectare up to large lots of several hectares.
She thought it would be unfair to ask the owners of large blocks to mow them but could see it might be appropriate in the case of smaller lots.
Cr Danita Potter said she had also experienced a few problems with rural residential blocks in her division and held similar views to Cr Schumacher.
General Manager Peter O’May said compliance staff who oversaw overgrown allotment matters were hard-pressed to stay on top of the issue – particularly during the warmer months – and expanding the policy would only increase their workload.
Answering a question from Deputy Mayor Gavin Jones, Mr O’May confirmed any changes to the policy would have no effect on property classifications.
This meant rural residential property owners would still pay the same rates if they were captured by a policy change.
Councillors voted to conduct a review of the overgrown allotments policy later this year before arriving at a decision, but the rural residential lots to be considered would be limited to a hectare or less and located near a designated town area.
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The South Burnett Regional Council will stop charging a $60 administration fee to landowners who want to clear vegetation or conduct burning operations on a rural road reserve or other Council-controlled reserve.
At February’s General Meeting, Councillors were told the fee was listed in the Council’s Schedule of Fees and Charges, and it had angered some land owners who believed their clearing operations were improving public safety.
Councillors were told property owners who wanted to conduct burns would still need to obtain a fire permit from their local Fire Warden but this could be done at no cost.
Councillors agreed unanimously to axe the clearing/burning charge.
How about you spray the lantana and other weeds growing along the side of the rural roads that keep infesting grazing and cropping country before going after others? Get your house in order.
I second the motion, Greg. You can also add highways to the affected areas.
Am I allowed to ‘third’ the motion. What is the point of taking the time and spending the money to get rid of lantana and associated weeds when the Council has such a great crop on the other side of the fence!