Items of Interest: Council Meeting – Wednesday 15 August 2018

Mareeba Shire Council voted today to convert the waste facility at Chillagoe from a landfill to a transfer station.

Deputy Mayor Councillor Alan Pedersen said the current Chillagoe landfill trench would reach capacity by early 2019. “When this trench is full, Council will need a solution for the waste that is received by Chillagoe landfill,” he said.

“Council looked at a couple of options to manage waste in Chillagoe from 2019 and beyond and decided the most efficient and cost-effective option was to convert the waste facility from a landfill to a transfer station.”

While funding has been approved under the 2018/2019 capital works budget for construction of a new landfill cell at Chillagoe, Council agreed to use the funds to convert the existing site to a waste transfer facility proving better value for money.

There will be no change to the opening hours of the transfer station at this stage. The facility is open on Tuesdays (2pm-5pm), Thursdays (9am-2pm) and Saturdays (9am – 12pm).

For more information, click here.

An application for a third boutique distillery for Mareeba Shire has been approved by Council today.

The proposed small-scale distillery at Jaques Australian Coffee plantation will use the coffee bean husk and pulp waste from the production of the coffee beans during the manufacturing process.

The main distilled product to be produced by The Lukure Collection is a Coffee Liqueur. However, the developer says as the primary outcome of a distillery is the creation of alcohol its intended that in the future the distillery may also produce other spirits including whiskey, gin and vodka.

Deputy Mayor Alan Pedersen applauded the developer’s innovation and initiative and said this latest development application received by Council endorses confidence that Mareeba Shire is thriving.

IN a bid to reduce the number of wandering dogs in the Shire, Council has introduced a financial incentive for dog owners to desex their dogs.

Council today adopted an amended Animal Management Fees and Charges for the 2018/19 financial year, which offers a refund (on a pro-rata basis) to dog owners if they get their dog desexed during the registration period.

Deputy Mayor Alan Pedersen said that Council’s desexing registration fee is substantially less than Council’s entire registration fee and the amended fee schedule will encourage dog owners to get their dogs desexed. “It all comes back to responsible pet ownership, and we are trying to make it more affordable for pet owners to do just that,” he said.

“We know that desexed dogs are less likely to stray, and are generally less likely to be aggressive.

“It is also a timely reminder to make sure your dog is registered, microchipped and is always kept in a safe and secure environment,” Cr Pedersen added.

Click here for a full list of Animal Management Fees and Charges.

SAFETY, security and accessibility have been improved at the Mareeba Swimming Pool, with stage two of the upgrades completed earlier this month.

Works included a total refurbishment of the existing administration and kiosk facilities, enhancing visibility and improving accessibility for emergency services.

The project was funded under the second round of the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland Program (W4Q).

Councillor Kevin Davies said the space is more workable. “The improvements have made a remarkable difference not just for the staff but also the patrons,” Cr Davies said.

“The upgrades were long overdue, and it has definitely been money well spent.”

Last year, the change rooms were also refurbished under round one of the W4Q Program.

Cr Davies thanked the Queensland Government for its generous contribution. “The whole facility is more inviting and without funding from the Queensland Government, these upgrades would simply not have been possible,” Cr Davies said.