{"id":130227,"date":"2015-12-14T18:07:34","date_gmt":"2015-12-14T08:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=130227"},"modified":"2020-11-02T11:53:38","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T01:53:38","slug":"memerambi-estate-contract-awarded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/12\/14\/memerambi-estate-contract-awarded\/","title":{"rendered":"Memerambi Estate Contract Awarded"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Memerambi<\/a>
The South Burnett Regional Council has awarded a $1.46 million contract to build missing roads and drainage infrastructure in the Memerambi housing estate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"SBRC<\/a>
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann (Photo: SBRC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 14, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

The South Burnett Regional Council has accepted a $1.46 million tender for the construction of Memerambi Estate’s missing roads and drainage infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The tender was awarded to Brown Contractors Pty Ltd, a Brendale firm which specialises in providing civil engineering and project management services for the government, mining and resource sectors.<\/p>\n

The company’s tender was accepted at last Wednesday’s Council meeting.<\/p>\n

The 12-year-old firm has previous experience in the South Burnett.<\/p>\n

It was contracted by FK Gardner and Sons Pty Ltd for $400,000 of road reconstruction works in the region between February and June last year, completing the project on time and under budget.<\/p>\n

The company is expected to begin work on the Estate in January.<\/p>\n

In October the Council had forecast the total cost of rendering the Estate habitable would be $2.1 million.<\/p>\n

Mayor Wayne Kratzmann noted the company had tendered less than expected, but said the tender did not cover all the work the Council planned to undertake.<\/p>\n

However, if the Estate could be normalised for less than originally forecast, any savings would be passed on to the Estate’s property owners.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Any repeat of Memerambi Estate now seems unlikely after the South Burnett Regional Council was given permission to adopt a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) in mid-November.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Local Government Minister Jackie Trad confirmed the TLPI the Council originally applied for in May 2014 can be adopted.<\/p>\n

The TLPI will force developers of any of the South Burnett\u2019s historic subdivisions to comply with the same conditions as an ordinary subdivision – i.e. install all the subdivision\u2019s infrastructure before they can erect any buildings.<\/p>\n

It is designed to plug a loophole in the region\u2019s existing Planning Schemes which allowed developers of historic subdivisions to build houses in advance of infrastructure.<\/p>\n

This loophole was exploited by developers Summit View Meritor Pty Ltd to construct and sell houses on Memerambi Estate before roads, drainage and other infrastructure had been built.<\/p>\n

When the company was placed into liquidation in August 2013, investors in the Estate found they were unable to move into their houses because no infrastructure was in place.<\/p>\n

The Council resolved to adopt the TLPI at its meeting on May 21, 2014 and forwarded a copy to the Minister for approval a few days later.<\/p>\n

On November 16, the Minister confirmed the TLPI meets the requirements of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and gave permission for its adoption.<\/p>\n

At Wednesday\u2019s meeting, Councillors adopted the TLPI unanimously along with a list of all the region\u2019s historical subdivisions it will apply to.<\/p>\n

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