{"id":324880,"date":"2022-10-13T18:22:03","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T08:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=324880"},"modified":"2022-10-14T21:17:34","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T11:17:34","slug":"council-debates-1-3m-rsl-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2022\/10\/13\/council-debates-1-3m-rsl-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Debates $1.3m RSL Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: The former Kingaroy Shire Council Depot in Pound Street is one of the largest blocks near Kingaroy’s CBD … the 35,000sq m was decontaminated in 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 13, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council will examine its options to help a $1.3 million housing development proposed by the Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch.<\/p>\n

The Sub-Branch has told Council it wants to build 12 residential units for veterans and a community centre in Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

The branch said it has about $700,000 available cash and an additional $660,000 loan facility with Westpac that would not expire until 2031.<\/p>\n

Combined, this $1.36 million would fund the residential units and the $660,000 loan would be repaid in five years.<\/p>\n

The Sub-Branch also owns an existing veterans’ welfare centre at 73 Kingaroy Street, and believes if it puts this on the market it would raise half the cost of an $800,000 community centre.<\/p>\n

The Sub-Branch requested Council gift them land for the venture, and suggested a 4000 to 6000sq m slice of vacant Council land in Pound Street, Kingaroy. might be a suitable site, leaving the remaining 29,000sq m available for future development.<\/p>\n

At Wednesday’s Liveability standing committee meeting, Mayor Brett Otto moved a motion that staff prepare a report on the RSL’s proposal before the end of the year for Councillors to consider.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The report will outline the total land required for the accommodation units and community centre, and the processes Council would need to follow to sub-divide a block and approve a material change of use – either in Pound Street or any other land that Council might contribute.<\/p>\n

Cr Kathy Duff said she had attended a meeting with several other Councillors and Sub-Branch representatives on September 7 to hold initial discussions on the proposal.<\/p>\n

She thought the idea was sound and would help address the rental crisis the region was experiencing.<\/p>\n

As well, the Sub-branch had the funds to carry it out and were keen to make a quick start.<\/p>\n

However, Cr Danita Potter warned the future of the Pound Street block – which has been vacant since the former Kingaroy Shire Council depot moved to Ivins Street in 2005 – was a topic that deserved more thought.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We have not discussed Pound Street as a Council enough,” Cr Potter said.<\/p>\n

“We’ve had individual meetings with individual people but as a Council … we have not discussed our aspirations or what we feel would be a good fit for Pound Street.<\/p>\n

“There are other things that we could be doing at Pound Street and there are other blocks of land that Council has been looking at for the RSL.<\/p>\n

“So this is something I would like to lay on the table so we can discuss this in depth.”<\/p>\n

Mayor Otto said the intent of the motion was not to commit the Council to do anything.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Instead, its aim was to examine the RSL’s land needs and the processes Council would need to follow if it gave any land to them.<\/p>\n

He believed the community was keen to see Council “do something” with Pound Street.<\/p>\n

Cr Scott Henschen said he had also attended the meeting with the Sub-Branch. He said Cr Kirstie Schumacher had pointed out there was possibly land available elsewhere in Kingaroy that would suit their project.<\/p>\n

He also reminded Councillors another proposal for Pound Street had recently been suggested to Council – which was commercial in confidence – and that needed to be taken into account as well.<\/p>\n

Cr Gavin Jones said he had no argument with Cr Otto’s motion, and agreed Council needed to begin taking action on the future of Pound Street.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He said there were a number of options on how Pound Street could be used, and these needed to be examined and discussed by Councillors in depth.<\/p>\n

Mayor Otto’s motion was seconded by Cr Potter and carried unanimously.<\/p>\n

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Where the Sub-Branch’s housing project would be located if it were allotted 6000sq m at the southern end of the Pound Street site (Graphic: SBRC and Google Earth)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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