Headline hurdles (mark 2) and server hiccups!
Sue Brooks September 13th, 2009
I apologise for the disappearance of the last post and associated comments.. The server that hosts my site crashed and burned it seems so the latest web site contributions have disappeared for ever. I can resurrect the comments via my email but whatever I wrote in my earlier post is gone for good. Teach me not to save a copy of my posts doesn’t it!
The point I was trying to make if I recall, was that the development called Della Vista earmarked for land at Granville, has been deferred by Council now at least 3 times. The last two times I did not vote in support of the motion to defer. This is because development on land at Granville, in my opinion, struggles to meet key criteria of the Maryborough City Council Planning Scheme. To begin with most of Granville is not zoned for urban development but is zoned rural and classed as ‘good quality agricultural land’ according to State Government guidelines. This term is used to describe land that should be kept to be used for rural production. There are also big hurdles to overcome to provide infrastructure such as water and sewerage and road access facilities across the river to Granville. Maryborough has other land zoned for urban growth and it continues to annoy me that developers speculate by buying rural land cheaply and then lobbying politicians at all levels, to allow development of that land. Why have a Planning Scheme that guides development sensibly if one doesn’t abide by it?
As a Councillor my job is to decide if the Council staff have assessed an application fairly and accurately against the rules or criteria laid down in our 4 Planning Schemes. I cannot vote to support any development because I think it is ‘good to have’, rather I have to base my decisions on how a particular development application aligns or doesn’t align with the rules. So sometimes I have to vote in support of applications that I personally don’t like! If Council makes decisions to approve or not approve developments and these decisions are not aligned with the rules laid down within our Planning Schemes, then the State Government is more than likely going to take a keen interest and may in fact intervene.
In my opinion if this Granville application had met the requirements of the Maryborough Planning Scheme it would more than likely have been approved prior to amalgamation by the then Maryborough City Council.
So if we collectively, Councillors and community alike, want to provide increased or restricted opportunities for development, then we have to change our Planning Schemes. This process has begun with the awarding of contracts to commence our Land Use Strategy. This strategy will be the key guiding document in the creation of the new Fraser Coast Planning Scheme. As soon as public participation processes are advertised I will be shouting from the roof tops as that will be the right time to express your views on where we want people to live, where we want to protect important habitat and how best we can provide the supporting social, sporting, cultural and economic needs of our bigger community. One key question that I hope receives an airing is how many people is an ideal population size?
So to more gentle pursuits. This morning I rushed and worried and moaned and groaned as I had committed to going snorkelling at 9am at Point Vernon. After visiting the start of the Tech Challenge race in Maryborough yesterday (which was absolutely wonderful to witness) I was hoping for one day at home to relax a bit, garden a bit (catch up with email a bit) and play with our new puppies. But once I arrived at Point Vernon and met up with our small gang and entered the water my grumbles were literally washed away.
The water was flat as a table top and quite clear, the clouds disappeared and the sky was painted a brilliant blue. The coral was teeming with little and bigger fish and it was simply wonderful. On coming in we looked back to see how some of the more thickly wet suited snorkellers were travelling in time to witness two dolphins slowly cruise past. Then a turtle splashed near by and I recounted my near head butt with a little sea snake! Birds were soaring and singing and all was right with the world.
Nature does this to me every time. The cares of the human world wash away and the wonders that abound in the natural world are like a soothing salve. The rest of the day has been enriched by my snorkelling with good people and I am so lucky that I live in a beautiful place with beautiful weather and underwater wonders. Take care, Sue
- Development issues
- Comments(4)
This was a comment contributed to my earlier post. Let me know if you want it removed please…. I thought it worthwhile sharing still!
Sue
I’m personally relieved to see a new editor at the helm of the local paper. Perhaps now we will actually see some local issues raised and pressure put on those who are failing us to do what we’re paying them to do!
There are some fantastic stories the paper could investigate in coming weeks and I am sure some would have certain councilors and senior council staff squirming in their seats.
The issue of development in Granville is interesting as it highlights the desperate need for new infrastructure around Maryborough to enable growth.
Successive councils have failed to have the vision to begin implementation of the necessary measures to make this happen and I hope the current council starts to think about how they can address the issue.
Quality residential land around Maryborough is not readily available, the land that is on the market is typically too far to the west of the city for most and over priced.
Whether the issues can be addressed by council and developers remains to be seen. Given the length of time it took council to act on the advise of their staff and reject the projects I won’t hold my breath!
This was also contributed…
Sue,
Our region not only needs some balanced reporting, it also requires some real investigative journalism.
Comments made by some of our “community leaders” are at best manipulations of the facts, at worst, outright lies. Sad to say our local journalists fail to pick up on them.
Many of the White Shoe brigade are seen as untouchables.
Sadman
My apologies if this has surfaced elsewhere.. my follow up to my initial comments. Sadman had commented that public consultation needs to take place at the begining of the land use strategy study currently being started by GHD:
What the public thinks and what in reality is necessary will be two completely different things.
If this study was done based on so-called public consultation we’d have the wishes of a few trying to compete with the needs of the majority.
Future urban growth in Queensland will be in our back yard. It is already begining to take shape in Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach and that will rapidly spread to our coastal villages including Poona, Tuan and Maroom etc.
This growth will be supported by the new coastal highway and surprise surprise.. a bridge across the Mary river! This bridge will link to the Maryborough -Hervey Bay road meaning it will be only a ’short’ 90 minute drive from Hervey Bay to Noosa.
Scary or rather exciting? The people of this region will not know what has hit when this happens and the developers with projects in the Granville area know this is on the horizon and are trying to capitalise on the opportunity.
From here, Sue’s suggestion of development in the ‘hinterland’ which will be Maryborough and west, will further develop creating new tourist destinations and employment.
We can make the most of this new future or try to resist it and lose the advantage.
Hi Ben,
Yes, you are right “this has surfaced” on COUNCIL MEETINGS AND A BIT OF A MIXTURE
and although I won’t retype it my response is the same as before.
Sadman