March 28, 2024
Regular users of the Blackbutt Range would have noticed works are finally under way to repair the concrete stabilising wall.
Since large cracks started appearing in the wall following the heavy rain of early 2022, I have received many inquiries from people worried that if there was further heavy rain there could be a landslip which closed the Blackbutt Range.
We all know the importance of the Blackbutt Range in connecting the South Burnett to Brisbane and the coast, and any loss of this major access route would have been devastating.
So I’ve been writing to the Department of Transport and Main Roads to highlight these legitimate safety concerns, and I was very pleased recently to be advised that works to repair the concrete wall will finally be undertaken.
The repair works are expected to take about ten weeks to complete, weather permitting, so I would encourage road users to take care through the roadworks during this time.
I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the job completed and the safety of this key road being improved!
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Schools Off To A Great Start In 2024
I love to visit schools in my electorate and it has been wonderful to attend leadership induction ceremonies right across the region recently, including Harlin SS, Goomeri P-10, Wooroolin SS, Kilcoy SHS and Nanango SHS.
I wish all our school leaders, teachers and students a terrific 2024 full of learning and fun.
I also recently enjoyed visiting the Year 5s at St Joseph’s School in Murgon.
The class was learning about government and I was very impressed by their knowledge and excellent questions.
There’s certainly the possibility of a few future politicians in the room!
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Big Crowd At Kumbia QCWA Centenary
It was an honour to be a part of the recent centenary celebrations for the Kumbia QCWA.
Congratulations to president Catherine Woodham, secretary Moira Curtain and the members for organising committee on a fantastic event to mark their 100 years of service to the Kumbia community.
In fact, the Kumbia CWA was established just two years after the Queensland Country Women’s Association was formed in 1922.
Well done to these remarkable ladies!
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Avocado Oil Manufacturing In Blackbutt
Right here in the Nanango electorate – just outside Blackbutt – Leo and his team are growing and producing Cherry Creek Estate Avocado Oil, a 100 per cent Aussie-grown product.
They noticed a unique opportunity to make high quality avocado oil and are going from strength to strength.
It was great to visit their farm and see their operations at first hand.
They also grow ginger and macadamias!
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Kicking Off The Region’s Shows At Cooyar
I headed to Cooyar in late February for one of our region’s first shows of the year at Cooyar.
Thanks to Scott and his team and a big shout out to Cooyar State School kids for the brilliant Advance Australia Fair.
While I was in the area, I also inspected the roadworks on the New England Highway between Cooyar and Coalbank.
Local residents and regular users of this road are extremely frustrated by the ongoing delays which have been occurring since the roadworks began in May 2021.
At the beginning of the year the heavy machinery left the site, stopping the works for another two months. It left the unfinished section of the Highway a narrow one-way stretch, controlled by multiple sets of traffic lights with very high drop-offs on each side.
It’s just not good enough that the works were suspended and typical of a city-centric Labor Government who continue to neglect regional roads.
