June 24, 2025
Strong lobbying by airport users – and opposition from Mayor Kathy Duff – has failed to stop the South Burnett Regional Council from imposing new landing fees at Kingaroy Airport.
Mayor Duff argued the imposition of landing fees would deter usage of the airport, which is what she believed had happened at Gympie Airport.
However, other councillors argued that the airport was costing Council money, and airport users had been consulted while the new charges were being drafted.
Deputy Mayor Jane Erkens said she believed that users who could “well afford” to own or operate aircraft should not be subsidised by South Burnett ratepayers.
“I like to use the Council pool and I have to pay my entry to the pool,” Cr Erkens said.
“I don’t think it’s a huge amount and user pays. I think they’ve had a fair run with no fees.”
Cr Ros Heit said people who were struggling to pay their rates were subsidising airport users, most of whom do not live locally.
The new fees will take effect from September 1 this year.
Gliders would be charged $5.50 per landing, and general aviation aircraft $13.20 per tonne of maximum take-off weight.
Training “tap-and-go” flights would be $13.20 for an unlimited number of landings.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service, LifeFlight and other emergency services, would be exempt from the charges.
The motion to approve the fees and charges was passed 6-1, with Mayor Duff voting against it.
As well, CEO Mark Pitt was authorised to finalise an agreement with the Kingaroy Soaring Club for an annual airport usage permit of $2440 (including GST).
A delegation of airport users expressed their anger at the proposed changes at the Kingaroy community meeting held in May which had been organised to discuss Council’s 2025-30 Corporate Plan and Draft Community Plans.
A series of speakers took to the floor during the meeting in the Kingaroy Town Hall Reception Room to argue vehemently against the proposals.
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Mayor Kathy Duff has warned that the upcoming Council Budget was going to be “challenging” because of the recent land valuations.
She said Council’s focus was on delivering a responsible Budget.
“The valuations have not been consistent in the categories as we had hoped,” she said.
“There are large variations across most of the categories. Some valuations have increased by 50 per cent and some up by 150 per cent.
“There is no way with what has happened that we can stop some rates going up and some rates going down.
“We will adopt a ‘rate-in-the-dollar’ but there will still be large variances across the categories.
“We are using three-year averaging and also considering capping.
“All these things are being looked at as we navigate the process if keeping rates as affordable as possible.”
Mayor Duff was speaking during her monthly councillor update at the June meeting.
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Councillors approved the 18 draft Community Plans which have been developed by Council staff following the public consultations held around the region in April and May.
There will now be a second stage of community consultation with a report to be presented to the August Council meeting for consideration.
The draft reports – which cover Blackbutt and Benarkin, Bunya Mountains, Coolabunia, Crawford, Durong, Hivesville, Kingaroy, Kumbia, Maidenwell, Memerambi, Moffatdale, Murgon, Nanango, Proston, Tingoora, Wondai, Wooroolin and Other Localities – aim to capture as much as possible of the community feedback and input.
They will now be refined before the final drafts of the plans are prepared for the August meeting.
These first drafts can be viewed in the Agenda (667kb PDF) of the June meeting (pp132-204)
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The 2026 Ekka Show Holiday will be held in the South Burnett on Monday, August 10, 2026.
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Council has agreed to lease a portion of Sunstrup Park in Wondai to the Wondai & District Men’s Shed for 10 years.
Council CEO Mark Pitt has been delegated to negotiate, finalise and execute the lease.
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The “Hivesville Amnesty” project – developed by Council as an incentive for Hivesville residents to get their buildings up to legal minimum standards – was discussed behind closed doors at the June meeting.
The amnesty to work out an arrangement with Council, which followed complaints from other Hivesville residents about health and safety issues in the town, was approved at a Council meeting in March last year and began on July 1. Residents had until December 20 to contact Council.
After the confidential discussion, Councillors voted in the open meeting to refuse to waive any building or plumbing fees.
The CEO would progress building and plumbing applications “on approval of a suitable payment plan where applicable”.
Good. And why not pay? The rest of us poorer ratepayers (who never use the airport) are sick of carrying the cost of those who fly as a hobby. It’s time *users’ pay* and maybe it will stop the joy flyers who think it’s funny to buzz low over paddocks and scare people’s horses into bolting. I noticed he didn’t come back, once he saw me taking a video.