{"id":129638,"date":"2015-12-09T05:44:02","date_gmt":"2015-12-08T19:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=129638"},"modified":"2020-11-02T14:53:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T04:53:53","slug":"family-launches-video-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/12\/09\/family-launches-video-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Launches Video Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: Water rushing over Tessmanns Road North … the affected families say run-off is causing damage even when the rainfall is not as heavy as this 2013 incident (Photo: Torrens Family)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 9, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

The recent approval of operational works on Stage 5 of the Summit View Estate in Kingaroy has sparked a renewed campaign by local residents frustrated by years of stormwater run-off problems linked to previous stages of the development.<\/p>\n

Farmers Michael and Tina Torrens released a YouTube video last week to highlight alleged Council inaction over the issue, (see below)<\/em>, and their fears that Stage 5 will only make their problems worse.
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The couple says the issues date back to Kingaroy Shire Council and Stage 1 of the estate built by Summit View’s original developers.<\/p>\n

KSC initially opposed the development, located on top of a hill, however the developer successfully challenged Council in court.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Torrens said two retention basins, totalling 12,680ML, has been planned to cope with run-off from the development, however this was later amended to a single 2000ML basin with an overflow running into the Torrens’ dam.<\/p>\n

However, they say this system simply cannot cope with the run-off – even after 25mm of rain.<\/p>\n

The family says water flows from the estate has been damaging private property as well as Tessmanns Road North, the main access road to their properties, since 2006.<\/p>\n

A strip of remnant bushland which contains a critically endangered native plant – Phebalium distans – has also been affected by the water.<\/p>\n

The Torrens family – along with neighbours Mark and Delwyn Schwenke, Sonie Crumpton and Graham Wieden – have been pressing for an external, independent hydrology report to identify a permanent solution to the run-off, as well as a guaranteed return to pre-development water flows.<\/p>\n

The families’ correspondence with the South Burnett Regional Council over the years fills a thick file.<\/p>\n

They have sought action from the Ombudsman, received support from then-State MP Dorothy Pratt, and have copies of correspondence from then-Local Government Minister Paul Lucas and Department of Local Government Director-General Jack Noye.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the landowners have undertaken repair work on their properties which they estimate totals $65,000, not including the cost of their labour or operating their own equipment; they also claim the stormwater has damaged their livelihoods.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They say Council has conducted repeated repairs to Tessmanns Road North, only to have the damage repeated, wasting ratepayers’ money.<\/p>\n

Mr Torrens said previous Council engineers had estimated it could cost between $1.2 and $1.8 million to fix the stormwater problem, but Council had budgeted just $200,000.<\/p>\n

And they claim this amount has been budgeted for several years, but nothing has happened.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann confirmed to southburnett.com.au<\/strong> on Tuesday that $200,000 had been budgeted this year for repair work, plus $70,000 for environmental work.<\/p>\n

He said a hydrology report was not feasible.<\/p>\n

“We haven’t got the money to spend on getting new reports done,” he said.<\/p>\n

Mayor Kratzmann said it would be better that the allocated money be spent on works on the ground.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It’s a matter of how do you get the best out of the $270,000,” he said.<\/p>\n

However, he promised work would start on the project “prior to June”.<\/p>\n

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