{"id":299891,"date":"2021-05-27T18:48:38","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T08:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=299891"},"modified":"2021-06-01T20:20:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T10:20:15","slug":"ktp-slashes-glendon-street-car-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/05\/27\/ktp-slashes-glendon-street-car-parks\/","title":{"rendered":"KTP Slashes Glendon Street Car Parks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A “shared community zone” in Kingaroy’s Glendon Street will cost $1.1 million for landscaping and lighting … but it will also reduce the street’s available car parks from 67 to 39<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 27, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council has revealed the Kingaroy Transformation Project upgrade of Glendon Street will slash the number of car parking spaces in the area.<\/p>\n

At Wednesday’s general meeting, Councillors were told the “shared zone” plan for Glendon Street – designed to turn the area into a community hub – will reduce available car parks from 67 to 39.<\/p>\n

It was disclosed earlier this year that across the whole KTP project, there will be 91 fewer car parking spaces.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Glendon Street changes will make finding convenient parking for library users or visitors to Council’s offices even harder than it already is.<\/p>\n

Councillors heard traders at the northern end of the street believed the loss of car parks would have a negative effect on their businesses.<\/p>\n

The cut is also likely to affect some staff working at nearby Kingaroy Shoppingworld, who are forbidden to park in any of the shopping complex’s parking areas.<\/p>\n

Councillors learned the Glendon Street shared zone was expected to cost $5.03 million from the KTP’s total $13.9 million budget.<\/p>\n

Most of this will be spent repairing underground infrastructure, but about 20 per cent (ie. $1.1 million) will be spent on landscaping and lighting.<\/p>\n

Mayor Brett Otto said he was concerned the southern end of Kingaroy Street was being overlooked by the KTP project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He said this area – between the Alford Street courthouse and the Markwell Street BP service station – formed an important gateway into the CBD.<\/p>\n

He believed a row of dilapidated shops, footpaths set too high and inadequate underground infrastructure could hinder development.<\/p>\n

Mayor Otto said he had received many approaches from residents who shared his concerns about this section of Kingaroy Street. He thought a better approach might be to divert the $1.1 million funding for the Glendon Street “shared zone” into upgrading the southern end of Kingaroy Street.<\/p>\n

He proposed Council survey Kingaroy residents to get their views on this idea.<\/p>\n

However, the Mayor’s proposed motion drew a withering response from fellow Councillors, except Cr Kathy Duff who backed the plan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cr Gavin Jones said he agreed there were problems with the block the Mayor was referring to.<\/p>\n

He also thought repairing the footpaths and underground infrastructure would likely cost $1 million, given the cost of proposed works to Blackbutt’s CBD.<\/p>\n

However, Cr Jones said no one had ever mentioned the southern end of Kingaroy Street to him as an issue of concern. He thought deferring the upgrade to a future Budget would be a better approach.<\/p>\n

Cr Kirstie Schumacher reminded the meeting the shared community zone in Glendon Street was a key component of the $4.5 million grant the Federal Government had put into the KTP.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any failure to honour that commitment could have serious implications for Council.<\/p>\n

She agreed the southern end of Kingaroy Street was a problem that concerned many residents but said going back out to the community to get their views when shovels were already in the ground was unwise.<\/p>\n

Prior community consultations had passed the Glendon Street plan, and if Council changed course now it would show a serious lack of leadership, she said.<\/p>\n

Crs Potter, Henschen and Frohloff agreed that the Kingaroy Street strip should be treated as a future project rather than as part of the KTP.<\/p>\n

Cr Frohloff said she thought Council should take a tougher approach with the owner of the dilapidated shops, who has had several years to remedy the problem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the Mayor’s motion to conduct a survey was put to a vote, it was defeated 5-2, with only Mayor Otto and Cr Duff in favour.<\/p>\n