Archive for April, 2009

Fraser Island – walking trails

Sue Brooks April 30th, 2009

During my last weekend on Fraser Island a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Basin Lake. To get to the lake involved a quick walk up from the road where our big noisy bus was parked. The lake was quiet with no other visitors and a more beautiful place would be hard to find.

Then a few days later I heard of the most recent fatality caused by a ‘troop carrier’ overturning. I think it unnecessary to add further comment about the hows and whys of this accident other than that inexperienced drivers and top heavy overloaded vehicles are a recipe for disaster. There will be much discussion about how to prevent similar tragedies in the future and it appears Council may play a part in this process.

The growing problems of dingo management and the lack of appropriate infrastructure on the island, think toilets, are ongoing concerns. Weed management and research into water quality are just two other areas of worry. I am very concerned about the future of our island neighbour.

Tourism is an important feature of our region and we all benefit (directly or indirectly) from the people visiting the island. But will we love the island to death if we don’t take some steps to manage the way in which people experience this beautiful special place?

So to the Great Walk. As a young backpacker travelling the length and breadth of New Zealand, many, many years ago, I enjoyed walking the Routeburn Track. I still treasure the memories of the difficult walking and the overnight stay in a hut way up on the side of a mountain where no road was ever built. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routeburn_Track The sites I saw, the load I carried on my back and the memories of friendships made have stayed with me always.  

Why then is the Fraser Island Great Walk such a non event? Speaking to the few people I know who have walked the track it is a beautiful experience. Apparently though, the track is under utilised. Why don’t we develop this track and ensure that walking on Fraser Island becomes a desired way to experience this island? I believe that people walking through Fraser Island will experience the island in a way that can’t be found while buzzing along a beach in a 4WD! Walking is a peaceful activity and wildlife and vegetation can be seen and appreciated much more easily. How many of you have taken a walking tour from Kingfisher Bay? Even that limited experience fills one with wonder at the beauty and bounty of our natural environment.

So we need to ask our State Government to support the development of a Great Walk that is truly great. We need overnight huts. We need to extend the existing track and facilitate a booking system and staged walks. We need to encourage walking tours and allow commercial operators the opportunity to provide guided walks. The walks should vary in length and location etc. Other parts of the world have Internationally famous walks. http://www.cradlehuts.com.au/

Fraser Island has excellent weather all year round. A Fraser Island Great Walk experience should be a ‘must do’ on every tourists agenda. Our island walk should become a world famous walk.  What do you think?

Water services and the PBA process

Sue Brooks April 23rd, 2009

The Public Benefit Assessment process is coloured by the report that is supposed to give an outline of the current state of our water service providers and help guide us in making recommendations for the future. The document is long winded and yes full of ‘corporate speak’. A shorter document may have been easier to deal with and to understand.

I think the main points raised within the report are valid but we are trying to compare apples with oranges. I think both water service providers have done a good job providing services to our community under the constraints or advantages that they worked under prior to amalgamation.

I will be focussing on what form our new combined entity should take so that it can concentrate on providing excellent innovative but cost effective services to all of us into the future. I want to select the most effective structure that enables independence without incurring extra costs that the community has to pay for and an unnecessary extra layer of bureaucracy.

I abhor the ’silo mentality’ that easily develops in larger organisations and leads to one department not knowing what the other department is up to. This can lead to situations like we saw recently where a brand new footpath was ripped up months after being laid for some pipes to be installed underneath. Better co-ordination between Council departments and associated bodies, should ensure that proper timing of projects eliminates what simply amounts to a waste of money. Money that we the community ultimately pay!

So I do encourage you to simply put your thoughts to paper and advise Council of your opinion. If you don’t want to read the entire PBA documentation you don’t have to. Quite simply just write and let us know what you think in general terms. I look forward to much input. Thanks, Sue

Written submissions must be received by 1 May 2009 and mailed to the Chief Executive Officer, PO Box 1943, Hervey Bay or delivered to customer service centres in Hervey Bay or Maryborough. Envelopes should be marked Public Benefit Assessment – Water Business.  Submissions can also be emailed to enquiry@frasercoast.qld.gov.au

Water services decision time.

Sue Brooks April 16th, 2009

The Public Benefit Assessment process is upon us and now is the time to peruse the information and comment on what you believe to be the best model for Council to adopt. I have not yet had time to read the whole document (weekend reading) but the comparative data is what I will be focussing on. Pages 8 and 13 provide some interesting comparative data to start with!

The community is invited to comment and I urge you to do so. It seems that there still is a lot of confusion surrounding this process so to clarify. Council has already decided to amalgamate or join together our water suppliers into one body. Now the question is to decide under what format. The only two choices that I think are relevant, are to proceed under either the corporate model or as a commercialised business unit of Council. I don’t think the third option of returning it to Council to be run as an internal department is a practical one.

The main question I am asking myself is this one. If we proceed under the corporate model do the increased costs of running a corporation provide extra income to the community to outweigh these extra costs?

Here is the link to the report and I will endeavour to post some summary information over the weekend. Cheers, Sue

http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/council/documents/Public%20Benefit%20Assessment%20Issues%20Paper%2014%20April%202009.pdf

Council Planning meeting number 3.

Sue Brooks April 13th, 2009

A very full agenda was before Council last week. First up were 3 decisions to assess applications under the Hervey Bay Superseded Planning Sceme. These applications consisted of 1×105 lots for Doolong Rd, 1×53 lots in Pantlins Lane and 1×254 lots in Doolong Sth rd. Total 412 lots. These app’s will be assessed under the Superseded (old) Planning Scheme. Next was a 6 storey Esplanade development for 39 Units at Scarness on the land where Sprake is. This was approved with me being the only dissenter due to my belief that setbacks are not being interpreted within the Planning Scheme correctly. As a result of this I asked during General Business that Council be advised of clear interpretations in relation to the tables and definitions within our Planning Scheme. The main point needing clarification is in relation to recession planes and whether we assess a 6 storey building as a whole building or each storey individually. Hard to explain but I suppose it means do we want more buildings set back from the boundary like the Whitecrest and Riviera buildings are, or do we want the bottom or lower storeys set closer to the boundary and the building to recede as it gets taller! To my mind it relates to how much open space we want on the site itself and how ‘in your face’ you want buildings to appear as you walk and drive around. Do let me know what you think please?

Then we had a very interesting debate about a retail development proposal for 109 Boat Harbour Drive on the vacant land adjacent Fraser Shores Shopping Centre that goes through to Beach Rd. The application was recommended refusal by staff, mainly due to the inclusion of a supermarket and speciality retail stores and the fact that other land in Pialba is already approved for development although no development has yet occurred. I argued that the Planning Scheme conditions clearly relate to protecting ‘existing centres’ and not to vacant land with a current Development Application over it.  Several Councillors, myself included, were interested in why we weren’t recommending a Preliminary Approval for this development and I argued strongly that this site is the appropriate site for some box retail/showroom development but not for another supermarket. The vote was a close one with myself and other Councillors voting against the recommendation to refuse the application. Council was split down the middle with Mick our Mayor and chairperson having to cast the deciding vote. Mick voted to support the refusal so the application failed. I hope a new application is lodged minus the supermarket to ensure that we do consolidate that area of Pialba as our central shopping precinct. I am still waiting for Spotlight, Cutain Wonderland, pillow talk and other larger retailers to arrive here. While I support our local businesses I do sometimes travel to Maroochydore etc where I can find a Homemaker centre and Sunshine Plaza within cooee of each other.

Next we agreed to refuse a development for 4 units (6 storey high if I recall correctly) in James St Urangan, due to the lack of approriate setbacks etc on a very small block of land. I expect the building will be redesigned and gain approval by complying with setback provisions etc more closely. Then we refused an application to develop 41 Industrial Lots in Mayne St, Tiaro due to failure to meet Tiaro Planning Scheme provisions and also refused a 1 into 3 reconfiguration in Walkers Rd, Urangan near the aiport due to noise overlay conflicts.

Lastly we dealt with two items in confidential and I voted against both of them. I will await the recommendations being made public prior to commenting on the nature of these two items in more detail.

CONFIDENTIAL

Change Of Reserve Tenure -Urangan Boat Harbour

Ombudsman Recommendations – 3 Westringia Court, Craignish

EASTER

So it was with much relief that Easter arrived. It has been wonderful to have 4 days at home catching up on gardening and housework. Today is catch up on office work day etc and with the rain this seems the logical use of time.

Some people have been asking about my efforts to see using contact lenses and how my Tony Ferguson assisted weight loss is going.  I decided contacts for me are best used for special occasions that don’t involve reading and I use them for evening activities etc. Otherwise I’m juggling both reading and sunglasses so am back to my all purpose glasses most of the time.

The weight loss is excruciatingly slow (probably cause I cheat a bit) but on track. I have lost approx 7kgs since Christmas time although I indulged in an Easter hot cross bun yesterday and some chocolate eggs are still to be finished. So there may be a blimp in my slow downward travelling graph to date. But life is for living and although I find Tony F. easy to follow, I reckon chocolate once a year is not going to hurt. Luckily I never crave chocolate so once my eggs are eaten I will be straight back on track. I don’t use my ‘Wii Fit’ as much as I should and have some sore muscles today after a good session yesterday. I just have to find the time to use it more regularly it seems.

Well that is enough from me. A long post so thanks for listening. Take care and I hope you all have enjoyed a safe and happy Easter. Sue

easter

Population – more or less?

Sue Brooks April 8th, 2009

I received a well written email recently and think it worth posting. Makes a change from me rattling on….

Dear Cr Sue Brooks,
Do you think that the residents of Hervey Bay are looking forward to the doubling of their town’s population in 17 years’ time. The panic that ensued when Hamish threatened the town recently when it was realised that 10,000 people might have to be suddenly transported away from the danger of tidal surge, illustrates the limitations already imposed by the dual effects of ‘Mother Nature’ combined with the gross planning errors of the recent past. Imagine the chaos which would have ensued with just a couple of collisions on the Maryborough Road with 250 coach journeys each with 40 people and their baggage.

The pundits are telling us that sea levels are to rise by a metre by 2100 (A report in The Australian earlier this month). Even with current sea levels, maps published on the web show storm surge of a mere metre would inundate the whole of Eli Waters. (Some storm surges reach 5 metres.) Yet residential subdivisions and house construction continue to be approved in places which are just as vulnerable. Not only that amazes me but what puzzles me is where do such flood-prone residents now obtain flood insurance. Do they, like Victoria’s bush-fire victims, expect to be bailed out by charity?

Of course, most residents will not be aware of the DoHA population plans and projections, still less will they have signed the petition against the Draft South East Queensland Regional Plan and its aim to bring SE Queensland’s population to equal the sprawl of Sydney. Have you?  While the State and Federal Governments bang on about man-made climate change, they intend to create yet more heat sinks with more roofs and more black-top roads. Madness? No, apparently just the ‘normal’ planning procedures!

The demographers say we have to have continuous population increases to provide an enlarged tax base to support retirees. The logic escapes me. We all become retirees eventually; so what is so special today? Longer life span? In that case raise retirement age to 70. I worked and paid income tax till I was 70 and I’m nothing special. If I could get a part-time job even now at nearly 76, I’d take it. A start could be made to raise retirement age to 70 with public servants at all 3 levels of Government. Why not?

But with free trade and our wage costs legislated to be far above those of the rest of this part of the world, what jobs are going to replace those lost in the almost daily exit of industries to China, Indonesia, Thailand etc. Professor Ian Lowe talks about thousands of jobs to be created here by the new ‘Green Industries’. In his stunted economic philosophy, such jobs will not, apparently like others before them, be exported or need huge tax subsidies to be retained here. The only industry left free from Chinese competition is construction leaving Australia with the ridiculous scenario of having to build ever more houses and sub-divisions for ever increasing immigrants. This is Alice in Wonderland stuff!

I hope you are digging in your heels and refusing to go along with this madness, at least on the Fraser Coast.

Regards, Geoff

Time is flying.

Sue Brooks April 7th, 2009

How can it be the 7th of April already? My intentions of posting more regularly are rapidly unravelling it seems. Yes I’m still here but moments to catch up with all things non Council are in short supply.

A full agenda tomorrow sees a variety of development decisions to be made some of which are a matter of deciding to assess them under the ‘old’ superseded Planning Scheme for Hervey Bay. Most of these were lodged on the 15th December last year which was the last day to lodge to take advantage of the ‘old’ scheme. Other decisions include multiple units to 6 storeys along the Esplanade at Scarness (recommended approval), a large retail development on Boat Harbour Drive between Beach Rd and Fraser Shores (recommended refusal) and an Industrial Estate in Tiaro (recommend refusal) among others. It is unusual to see recommendations for refusal but if the applicant has not met the criteria within the relevant Planning Scheme then that is the logical outcome. To my mind it is simply a matter of playing within the rules. But these decisions are not final until the Councillors vote tomorrow.

Last week saw meetings almost all day every day with appointments and functions in between. I attended the Matusik presentation at the lunch on Friday which was organised by the Bay Chamber of Commerce and UDIA. The presentation was interesting with many statistics thrown our way. There has been much comment that builders are going broke and that Council must ‘approve’ more things more rapidly. Our current statistics show that there are only 10 or so applications outstanding from this current financial year (July 1st 2008 to now) and I am personally convinced our Planning staff are pumping out decisions at as rapid rate as is humanly possible.

So I think that Council is operating well considering the number of applications it has to deal with and the number of staff that we have to process them. It was also interesting to here Mr Matusik say that over supply is not something that Council should concern itself about as developers should make the decision to develop or not. In other words Council should not be involved in controlling supply which Council does not do anyway. I personally believe that over supply of multiple units has occurred and that the market will now need to adjust. I also believe that there are countless blocks of developed land available to purchasers and that there is no ’shortage’ of housing sites locally. I also believe that building will continue to slow down.

I think we need to remember that many builders moved to Hervey Bay and have done well during our recent boom times but that now we face a period of readjustment. In other words the boom is over and we will return to a steadier rate of development. This will hurt some people but I believe it to be inevitable. The older I get the more of these cycles I witness. How anyone can blame Council for the economic situation we find ourselves in is beyond me nevertheless Council is doing what it can to provide projects that local workers can undertake.

Maybe one day we will see a stable economy that simply sustains itself, with enough work to keep a stable population gainfully employed and earning enough wages or income to lead a happy life. Wouldn’t this be a better system than the boom and bust cycles?

I will report on the result of the Council meeting tomorrow asap. Cheers, Sue