Items of Interest – Tuesday 19 March 2019

Council recently entered into a funding arrangement with the Queensland Government to develop a feasibility study which will assess potential costs, configurations and governance models for a potential rail trail.

The study aligns with a petition received by Council today from 356 residents and visitors calling on Council to upgrade Mareeba’s 14km section of the corridor.

Mayor Tom Gilmore said Council was aware of the public’s interest and demand to upgrade the trail was appreciative to the Queensland Government for assisting with the first part of the process. “Thank you to the Queensland Government for giving us the opportunity to carry out this feasibility study of the rail trail,” Cr Gilmore said.

“We look forward to receiving the report to see if the community can afford the upgrade of the trail and ongoing maintenance of the track.”

Council expects the report will be prepared and presented by the end of June this year.

The Mareeba Multicultural Festival advisory committee was appointed today and local woman Jennifer Murat named chair of the committee.

The Festival committee was established in 1998 to organise and host a celebration of cultural diversity highlighting the 65 different nationalities represented in the Shire. With support from local businesses, Council and the Queensland Government, the Festival continues to grow and attracts thousands of visitors to the Shire.

Mayor Tom Gilmore noted Council’s appreciation to Giuliano Cordenos who stepped down as chair of the committee after 20 years at the helm. “Under the direction of Giuliano, the festival started from humble beginnings two decades ago and has since grown to be one of the Shire’s most anticipated yearly events,” Cr Gilmore said.

“Giuliano has given so much of his time and energy, building the Festival to what it is today, one of the region’s most significant events on the calendar. I sincerely thank Giuliano on behalf of my Council and the community for his dedication, vision and service to the Festival and the Mareeba Shire community.”

The committee unanimously nominated Jennifer Murat as the new chair of the Festival organising committee. Ms Murat has been a member of the committee for several years and held the position of secretary for the past four.

“I wish the new chair of the committee Jennifer all the very best going forward,” Cr Gilmore said.

“The committee does a marvellous job organising the Festival each year and I commend the entire band of volunteers for their hard work and dedication. Council has always had a harmonious working relationship with the Festival committee and this will no doubt continue well into the future.

“I have confidence that the event will continue to grow while keeping the true meaning of the Festival alive, which is of course to celebrate the wonderful diversity of our Shire and region afar.”

Last month, Council received petitions from residents in Kuranda and Julatten/Mt Molloy, calling for the Council to consider becoming divisional.

A comprehensive report was tabled at Council today, highlighting advantages and disadvantages for both divided and undivided Councils.

Council unanimously voted for Mareeba Shire to remain undivided.

Following the monsoon weather event earlier this year, Council has been actively carrying out emergent work with assistance from the Queensland and Australian Governments.

A number of roads and other transport infrastructure across the Shire were impacted and required urgent repairs.

Mayor Tom Gilmore said Council has been prioritising these works as a matter of urgency. “Our main priority is safety and restoring access for residents,” Cr Gilmore said.

“Since activation on 8 February 2019, our staff have inspected 745 roads throughout the Shire, of which 142 of them required emergency works.

“We thank the community for their patience and cooperation while these works are carried out and our staff will continue to maintain accessibility by repairing our public assets.”

In the lead-up to the 2019-20 budget, Council today adopted a set of fees and charges for regulatory services.

Animal registration fees for de-sexed dogs will be reduced to encourage responsible pet ownership. Residents will only pay $20 to register their dog if it is de-sexed.

Mayor Tom Gilmore said the financial incentive would hopefully encourage pet owners to do the right thing and register their dogs.

“The fee to register a de-sexed dog is significantly less than the fee for an entire dog to encourage owners to de-sex their dogs,” Cr Gilmore said.

“We know that de-sexed dogs are less likely to stray and are generally less aggressive.”

Council reminds residents that all dogs in Queensland must be registered under State Government legislation.

“It is important residents are aware of the responsibility that comes with owning a dog. Make sure your dog is registered, microchipped and is always kept in a safe and secure environment,” Cr Gilmore said.

The Chillagoe Landfill will soon be redeveloped into a transfer station after Council awarded the tender to T&K Fitzgerald Pty Ltd to carry out the reconfiguration.

The scope of work for the Chillagoe Landfill Redevelopment Project is to cap the existing landfill cell and reconfigure the site into a transfer station, including construction of a waste transfer pad and installation of two roll-on roll-off bins.

Waste from Chillagoe will then be transported to landfill for disposal.