MRI, Grants, Roads, Foreshore and Arkarra etc
Sue Brooks July 4th, 2012
It was with much satisfaction that I read about Dr Robert Taylor’s success in obtaining an MRI with Medicare licence. This is something I lobbied strongly for and the previous Council supported by way of direct communication with the relevant Minister at the Federal level. It will be such an excellent asset for Hervey Bay and the entire Fraser Coast.
Roads being upgraded are all consistent with the planned works of the previous Council so no surprises there. I am pleased Div 5 roads already planned to be rebuilt are going ahead as are some major trunk link roads also planned by the previous Council. It is so pleasing to hear that Grant funding applications also done previously have borne fruit with a big windfall coming our way. The monies for affordable housing are welcome and I await with interest to see if this drop of assistance will help revitalise some building activity locally.
I also hope that the new and seemingly secretive Foreshore Taskforce sees sense and doesn’t recommend blindly clearing cotton wood trees and undergrowth. Ask anyone actually using our foreshore rather than those residing opposite it, and a nearly unanimous voice of preservation rings loudly. Our foreshore is much like the Noosa foreshore… but better. Let’s not destroy what many come to enjoy and turn our beach and Esplanade into a manicured wind swept mirror image of every other coastal city! Be careful what you do as it will be nigh to impossible to undo! I am sure no one wants metres upon metres of meshed fencing fronting our beach trying in vain to keep the sand on the beach not on The Esplanade!
Arkarra Tea Gardens go to Auction on the 14th. Come on Council. There is funding available so grab this opportunity to purchase what can quickly become an environmental, economic and tourism money spinner. The lagoons are unique and these facilities will compliment an already hefty financial investment that is now wasting away. Everyone knows we need land based attractions. This one is ours for the taking.
One of my other concerns is in relation to the Council Pound in Hervey Bay. The previous Council had dedicated approx $500k to rebuild the Hervey Bay Pound as it had already funded the upgrade of the Maryborough Pound/Refuge. I have asked each Councillor to commit to retaining the funding for this facility. The plans are already approved and building can start. Currently there are not enough pens to house dogs in particular and the facility is an out of date and terribly inadequate place to work or visit. As for the animals. Totally inadequate housing. Cold and nasty. While the money is a substantial amount it is already budgetted and while the pound is a place often disregarded and rarely visited by many of you, it is a place of safety for many of our pets that accidentally escape and also a place of death where far too many pets never see that friendly face coming to reclaim them! A facility that I simply wish we didn’t even need to have!
- Council related issues
- Comments(10)
Sue, bit disappointed with your response “ask anyone actually using our foreshore rather than those residing opposite it” this sounds like another sour grapes remark, people pay big money to live on the Esplanade for the reason of having ocean views. Was watching the news only this evening and there was the council cleaning up the lakes from the weeds and one person living on the lake stated people living on these lakes want to be able to have a view of the lakes (water) free from weeds, well I am positive people living on the esplanade also want to see the water (through some beautiful shady trees) not how it is at present with trees all fighting to get some light and not growing to their full potential, getting rid of undergrowth is what is needed along with removing lantana etc from our beautiful foreshore.
I must disagree with what you say “a nearly unanimous voice of preservation rings loudly”, well not from the people I talk to but then again none of them are staunch “greenies”.
Stan,
I’d suggest every one who buys a property has different reasons for their purchase.
If people buy on The Esplanade for the sea views, then they should buy were there is no vegitation. In the period I’ve lived in the Bay about 90% of the forshore has had vegitation on it. In fact there is less now than when I came.
To suggest that some one buys a property that has no view and then petitions for a view to be created at public expense is, in my view, just not on.
As to the “nearly unanimous voice”, I attended a number of public forshore meetings and would suggest the bulk of those in attendance, clearly stated they wanted the forshore left alone. If people of an opposite view chose not to attend such meetings and express their view, I can only say sorry, but that is or was their decision.
John, I agree with you if you buy property with no view then too bad but I also believe the previous council were in the habit of planting trees to block views this has been done on the Point Vernon side of the Pines, many trees were planted there last year. Blind freddy can see trees do not stop erosion, just go for a walk along the foreshore and see all the dead trees that have been eroded by the ocean along with grass and what ever else gets in natures way.
But yes people did attend such meetings and were asked to place a sticker on the photos they liked and wanted the foreshore to look like and only a small handful at the meeting I attended put their sticker on a photo with dense bushland, so obviously we were at different meetings, I am talking about the ones run by Sharon French a few years ago.
The foreshore plantings have been done to replace vandalised and poisoned existing trees. I agree the foreshore should have no weeds but the natural areas as designated in the Foreshore Plan should be preserved. Areas adjacent walkways etc can be beautified as canthe picnic areas but some wild places make our foreshore unique. Views through trees can be accomodated in many areas also but I agree with John. If you bought land without a view please don’t expect Council to provide you with a view and please don’t kill publiclyowned vegetation. I might surprise you in that I don’t vote Green and am nt staunch. I care about the natural environment as I care about our economy and I do not want development based on greed not need!
Sue, those trees planted (right on the foreshore) Point Vernon side of the Pines as mentioned by Stan, did not replace any trees vandalised or poisoned the area was mulched and then many many trees were planted in the mulch as was done at Gatakers Bays.
Margaret,
I don’t know the exact location you are referring to, but nowhere that I can find meets your description! Trees planted “right on the forshore”, would have to take at least thirty years (even if the could grow that much), to obscure the view of some one on The Esplanade.
What I did see was lines of trees that failing some strange coincidence, had died due to outside interference. I am not a Greeny, but I do love the truth and some in Pt Vernon obviously don’t.
There are some patches where mulch was laid and plantings done but the plantings were primarly ground covers and sheoaks designed not to impede views. Many of the plantings have failed for a variety of reasons. I hope a happy balance can be attained where natural foreshore areas are retained like at Noosa and some areas kept as parkland. I do not want more parkland however. I own land on the beachfront at Dundowran. I will be keen to enter into a management agreement with Council so we can weed and plant and enhance the vegetation in front of our block while retaining the limited views that do exist.
Did I read your post right? Did you say you want the foreshore to be, “like Noosa?” Who are you, and what have you done with Sue? The Sue I know has spent the last 4 years repeatedly saying she doesn’t want Hervey Bay to be another Noosa. I guess it’s only natural for a persons values and beliefs to change when it directly effects them (or their property values).
To clarify. I mean the point and the park areas adjacent Hastings St which are all left totally natural. There are pathways entwined through the trees and there are dead branches etc all left to decompose. Itis a truly natural environment. I did not mean to imply I want buildings on our foreshore though because I most definately do not!
I knew what you meant Sue, but I couldn’t let that one go by without comment