{"id":290797,"date":"2020-12-17T17:48:53","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T07:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=290797"},"modified":"2020-12-17T21:24:51","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T11:24:51","slug":"developers-must-build-to-get-discounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/12\/17\/developers-must-build-to-get-discounts\/","title":{"rendered":"Developers Must Build To Get Discounts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Developers will need to make a start on their projects in the next 18 months if they want to secure any discounts from the South Burnett Regional Council<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 17, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

A rural residential estate developer who said their development would generate $50 million worth of business for the local economy has been refused an exemption from paying Operational Works application fees.<\/p>\n

At December’s General Meeting on Wednesday, South Burnett Regional Council officers reported the developer was seeking an exemption from the charge, which applies to all developments covered by the Planning Act 2016.<\/p>\n

According to regulations, the fee can only be waived if the applicant is a registered not-for-profit organisation.<\/p>\n

Officers said the applicant did not meet that criterion.<\/p>\n

However, they added that under the Council’s recently introduced Development Incentive Scheme, the applicant would be able to claim a substantial discount on infrastructure charges providing they proceeded with their project in the next 18 months.<\/p>\n

They recommended Councillors reject the developer’s request, and Councillors agreed.<\/p>\n

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

The same thinking applied to a separate request from another developer, who asked Council to waive its $2900 fee for the reconfiguration of land associated with a residential development proposal in Markwell Street, Kingaroy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The developer told Council their project would cost $3 million – a welcome injection into the local economy – and provide much-needed accommodation close to the CBD.<\/p>\n

The applicant also reminded officers it had previously paid fees to Council between 2010 and 2018 for other projects on the site that had not gone ahead.<\/p>\n

Officers reported that if the developer started work on their latest project in the next 18 months, they would get a significant discount on their infrastructure charges under the Development Incentive Scheme.<\/p>\n

And since the applicant was a company registered with ASIC and therefore ineligible for the waiver not-for-profits could receive, they had no other option than to recommend Council reject the request.<\/p>\n