Letter to the Ed, Council pay and the Structure Plan for Eli to Dundowran..
Sue Brooks December 22nd, 2011
Catching up with things slowly but surely. It is still a busy time it seems with many emails and phone calls to attend to. I couldn’t help but respond to Mr Jim MacKellars comment in the Chronicle yesterday. This is what I wrote in response…
Jim MacKellar (FCC
21/12/11) says that a recently released Council concept plan for a sporting centre is a good idea but that it should be built in Maryborough. Last time I looked Maryborough was quite well serviced with sporting facilities. Hervey Bay is not. Hervey Bay requires new netball courts, sporting ovals and grounds to accommodate a variety of sports. Hervey Bay sports people still have no access to an adequate basketball facility nor an indoor cricket/netball facility. Yes the PCYC is very well used as are private facilities, but with the predicted population growth Council needs to plan ahead. The complex proposed at Urangan, while not as central as I would prefer, will cost Council zero dollars for the land. To purchase the large amount of land required to build a truly multi use complex elsewhere, would cost this community millions. Isn’t it time we realised that both Hervey Bay and Maryborough require their own facilities and that while we enjoy sharing the Brolga theatre, art galleries and the like,
Hervey Bay requires its own entertainment venue and sporting grounds. I don’t agree that all things should be built in Maryborough. Both cities and all our surrounding towns deserve a level of services and facilities commensurate with their population. Please don’t deny Hervey Bay and surrounding residents accessto their own much needed facilities.
I should have added that we do not want to duplicate facilities also though….
Now recently Councillors advised that our pay is being reduced. I have no problems with this reduction in pay. I don’t know why they ever placed an amalgamation loading on the first term after amalgamation anyway. Yes it was different work but work is work!
The Structure Plan for the Eli Waters to Dundowran Beach land has been released and I urge all residents that are interested in it to Have Your Say. This land is exceedingly low lying and Council has endeavoured to restrict the development footprint by increasing density into smaller pockets. I trust that this will be a better outcome than bringing in tonnes of fill and developing the entire area.
As always let me know if you have concerns about Council related and other issues and also pop over to Facebook. I have both a personal and a Councillor Sue Brooks Facebook pages. Take care, Sue
- Council related issues , Media comment
- Comments(3)
Of course, sensibly managed, the low lying land beside the Hervey Bay to Toogoom road would make an excellent landfill tip area for the next fifty years, followed by playing fields at the end of it’s life as a tip.
( Just joking – but it would be very very profitable charging other municipalities to truck in their waste ) .
Re: Sporting Facilities. Unfortunately it comes down to an “us and them” situation yet again. Prior to the amalgamation Maryborough was on a downward spiral. Yes, sure, the rates were lower but there was no maintenance done on anything except the bare necessities. Since the amalgamation thousands of dollars has been poured into vital repairs and maintenance and where has all this money come from? The increase in rates and HERVEY BAY. Do tourists come to Maryborough to it’s wonderful beaches and whale watching, NO. The tourist dollar is what keeps the wheels lubricated. From tourists we attract more residents and these residents need facilities. How can we encourage people to come and live here in Hervey Bay, buy businesses etc and then tell them that if their children want to play netball, basket ball or cricket that they will have to make the journey to Maryborough and back each time, not to mention training. Let’s face it, without Hervey Bay Maryborough would be dead in the water. Why do the residents of Maryborough always bit the hand that feeds them?
I agree with Jane (above). Hervey Bay is growing rapidly and new residents, especially people from city areas, expect to have facilities on their door step. Hervey Bay is a lovely place to live with a vibrant and laid back atmosphere, and a growing population.
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I must say, when I drive through Maryborough CBD on the odd shopping trip, I’m very aware of how quiet it is with very little traffic or pedestrians, and empty shops all over town. It isn’t very encouraging for newcomers to the area or tourists. And I don’t think a multi purpose sporting facility would be the answer. I don’t have a solution, I’d rather leave that to the experts, but it seems to me that HB needs the facilities and Maryborough needs some life breathed back into it.