Items of Interest – Wednesday 17 July 2019

The Julatten School bus turnaround and carpark upgrade is now complete, providing improved safety for students, parents, staff and the community. The scope of works includes the extension of the existing car park along Button Close, additional asphalt sealing, new kerb and channel, modifying the existing traffic island to aid traffic movement and the installation of a new concrete footpath. This project is funded by the Queensland Government’s 2017-19 Works for Queensland program.

Council awarded a tender today to replace water treatment infrastructure at the Mareeba and Dimbulah swimming pools. The existing pool infrastructure has been in operation for many years and has reached the end of its functional life.

While Council scheduled the works to occur during the annual winter closure, contractors will begin the repairs by the end of the month and may very necessitate an extended closure.

The replacement of the filters at the Dimbulah Pool is partially funded under the Queensland Government’s Get Playing Places & Spaces program and the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland program. The Mareeba Swimming Pool project is funded by the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland Program.

Further updates to the reopening of both facilities will be provided as the project gets underway.

A report tabled at today’s Council meeting highlighted a positive increase in the value of building approvals across the Shire. This year to date compared favorably to last year, with an increase of almost $25 million in construction approvals. Mayor Tom Gilmore said these figures are pleasing to see and demonstrate an overwhelming vote of confidence for the Shire.

In line with the Queensland Government’s Show Holiday listing Council has declared three annual show holiday dates for 2020. As the Mareeba Shire does not have an annual agricultural, horticultural or industrial show, it has previously linked these holidays to other annual shows in the region and has linked specific parishes to specific shows. The majority of residents living in Mareeba Shire will observe the annual Cairns Show Holiday while residents living in Watsonville and Irvinebank will mark the Atherton Show Holiday and those living in the Julatten and Mount Molloy area will take the Mossman Show as their annual holiday.