{"id":357646,"date":"2025-02-19T22:18:10","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T12:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=357646"},"modified":"2025-02-21T17:24:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T07:24:22","slug":"pound-street-solution-draws-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2025\/02\/19\/pound-street-solution-draws-close\/","title":{"rendered":"Pound Street Solution Draws Close"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: Heavy earthmoving equipment removed huge piles of soil from the Pound Street site in 2013 as part of the SBRC’s expensive decontamination of the former Kingaroy Shire Council depot land<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 19, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

The saga of what will eventually happen with a large block of vacant Council land in Pound Street, Kingaroy, looks set to end soon.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council voted on Wednesday to approve a deal where infrastructure charges will be waived on a proposed development on a portion of the area, in lieu of the gifting back of another portion – once the block is sub-divided – to a community not-for-profit association for a possible future housing project.<\/p>\n

Council approved a tender for the 3.32ha block last December in a commercial-in-confidence deal, delegating CEO Mark Pitt to negotiate and finalise the sale contract.<\/p>\n

The nature of what is proposed to be built on the major portion of the site is yet to be revealed as the sale is still subject to a due diligence process, but Council expects to finalise the sale contract within six weeks.<\/p>\n

The site of the former Kingaroy Shire Council depot has been vacant for decades after the a depot opened in Ivins Street, Kingaroy, in March 2005.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the years, the Kingaroy Council – and then the amalgamated South Burnett Regional Council – tested market interest on several occasions.<\/p>\n

Extensive rehabilitation, which included the removal of tonnes of soil, was completed in 2013 which allowed the block to be removed from the State Government’s Contaminated Land Register.<\/p>\n

This improved its chances for sale but all offers always fell short of Council’s expectations for such a large block situated close to the Kingaroy CBD.<\/p>\n

Rumoured projects over the years have included a “big box” discount supermarket, a retirement village, aged care facility or a work camp, but nothing ever eventuated.<\/p>\n

Councillors voted unanimously at Wednesday’s general meeting to accept a recommendation to waive the infrastructure charges.<\/p>\n

A portion of the land, once sub-divided, would then be transferred to the South Burnett Community Hospital Foundation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking after the meeting, Mayor Kathy Duff described it as “a historic moment” for Council.<\/p>\n

Mr Pitt described the tender approved in December as the “most advantageous” for the region.<\/p>\n

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