Gympie Regional - Media Responses (26

Media Responses (26 - 30 July 2021)

CONTENT: Clearing of habitat, Council Invesitigations, Disaster Management Coordination Centre, RV Strategy, Sale of land with overdue rates and charges.

ABC News: 27 July – Clearing of habitat around Gympie

QUESTION: On this koala dashboard map click here. There are quite a few green dots that have “koala- ‘After 2000’” along with a start date. They don’t specify any other details. Can you clarify that the start date was when a koala was spotted? Eg. The green dot near Normanby Hill Remembrance Park

ANSWER:

There are two datasets used in the koala dashboard:

1. the green and yellow dots are from the Queensland Government’s WildNet database

2. the pins are from Gympie Regional Council’s citizen science project, Wildwatch Gympie.

At the top right hand corner of the map section of the dashboard, there is a legend drop down icon.

The first set of data is the Wildwatch Gympie data headed as Koala Observations. These records are often provided by community members and contain more information because Wildwatch Gympie allows the observer to collect and share more data.

If you scroll down the legend box, you will see the WildNet data options of pre- and post- 2000 sightings. This is Queensland Government data.

Gympie Times: 27 July - Council investigations

QUESTION:

The Services Union recently released the below press release re: an increase in the number of investigations within the council. They raise concerns some of the alleged incidents are more than five years old, and questions the fairness of how long some of these are taking.

Can I please get comment from CEO Shane Grey about the claims in this release? What is the council investigating?

ANSWER:

Council cannot comment on any investigation or legal proceedings.

Gympie Times: 27 July - upgrade a council facility, disaster management coordination centre

QUESTION:

What is council using the $500,000 funding from the QLD Resilience & Risk Reduction fun for?

ANSWER: Gympie Regional Council is delighted to have received a $500,000 share of the Commonwealth and Queensland Government’s $19 million Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund. The funding will be used by council to upgrade a council facility at 24 Mellor Street, Gympie as a dedicated disaster management coordination centre. While the project details are still being finalised, some of the works are expected to include structural improvements, such a reconfiguration of the internal walls to make the space more functional during a disaster, as well as technological improvements to support a variety of new technologies. Moving the disaster management coordination centre to the Mellor Street location means that it will be closer to the Civic Centre, which is a disaster evacuation centre.

Rainbow Beach Cooloola Coast News: 27 July – Follow up question: RV Strategy

QUESTION: What does this mean? It should have been endorsed already? Keen to know what will be implemented first please? Where are we at with the Gympie Showgrounds camping area?

ANSWER: The draft RV Strategy was presented to and discussed with Council earlier this year. Work is ongoing. The RV Strategy will be ready for review by Council by October 2021. The first stage of works will commence later this year. The works will focus on delivering consistency across all the region’s RV parks with improved basic infrastructure such as signage, rubbish bin facilities and dog bag dispensers. Unfortunately, the funding allocated to Tozer Street for an RV site was not transferable to the Showgrounds. At this stage there is no funding for an RV site at the showgrounds, however Council is looking at all options.

Gympie Times: 29 July - sale of land process for properties with overdue rates and charges.

QUESTION:

Please advise to the outcome on item 11.1 from the Ordinary Meeting 28, July

ANSWER:

M14/07/21

Moved Cr J Milne Seconded Cr DH Stewart

That Council resolves:

1. In accordance with Section 140 (2) of the Local Government Regulation 2012 to sell the properties identified in the following table for overdue rates and charges.

Assessment & Property Description

1449 L1/MPH5203

6054 L7/RB96922

3282 L1/MPH31199

7611 L26/RP167031

10411 L40/RP183023

1875 L24/MPH14212

3157 L2/MPH24242

40161 L17/RP22762

3283 L4/SP197497

41387 L41/LX291

9895 L404/RP174235

4395 L41/RP906850

7814 L8/RP201162

15050 L1/SP135755

3100 L2/MPH23468

40723 L1/RP64562

12688 L14/RP815973

20912 L2/SP186162

30454 L31/RP207107

30512 L88/RP213206

6447 L29/RB96915

4181 L7/MPH7115

15182 L11/RP804763

2127 L1/MPH6956

8142 L3/RP900117

19336 L27/SP128696

21972 L7/SP196690

42186 L3/RP64733

5380 L2/RP197930

20400 L1/MPH5576

13641 L10/RP813955

41635 L7/RP819259

12722 L3/RP203137

30071 L1/RP65041

5533 L92/RP12423

5707 L22/N2981

11959 L26/MPH40846

23838 L2/SP254087

17083 L1/RP168603

345 L1/MPH6741

4390 L50/G14780

42538 L41/MZ225

18848 L12/RP865571

24682 L71/SP285767

30654 L123/RP214721

11609 L1/CP850475

22449 L126/SP207315

12851 L1/RP156370

30837 L2/RP867824

12080 L1/MPH33785

41555 L37/RP817544

30810 L87/SP124313

40363 L1/SP183092

30807 L84/SP124313

11573 L10/RP865215

21980 L114/LX807

42761 L176/RP22762

40420 L1/MPH25112

9294 L499/RP147437

42754 L73/SP216644

30853 L44/RP867825

41065 L3/RP157510

10635 L834/RP183447

30911 L46/RP838005

24074 L9/SP245747

42659 L2/RP885255

30573 L15/RP807768

16087 L83/L371026

16391 L2/RP217622

31177 L3/RP185253

41857 L4/MPH25127

2203 L1/MPH6518

16248 L2/RP174800

30661 L130/RP215117

13037 L3/RP815971

15667 L7/SP186067

5256 L9/RP12406

41324 L17/RP817550

14204 L3/RP142697

16508 L64/RP155712

12471 L5/MPH23395

11354 L2/MPH23698

31042 L29/RP224172

24066 L1/SP245747

5250 L2/RP12406

5254 L6/RP12406

5255 L7/RP12406

30596 L45/RP899154

3793 L1/MPH24011

And further;

2. In accordance with Section 140 (3) of the Local Government Regulation 2012 that a Notice of Intention to Sell be issued for each property.

Carried.

Gympie Times: 29 July – FOLLOW UP QUESTION sale of land process for properties with overdue rates and charges.

QUESTION:

please confirm the number of properties on the list adopted on the in committee item?

ANSWER:

Council has now endorsed the sale of land process for properties with overdue rates and charges. This process, in some cases, may allow ratepayers to apply for the early release of superannuation or a State Government mortgage relief loan. Both of these financial arrangements are not available until the ratepayer is in threat of losing their home, so these ratepayers have not yet been able to access this assistance.

Shane Gray CEO Gympie Regional Council

Further Information:

• The decision to sell a property is the decision of Council and not council officers.

• These properties must have a rates debt which has a balance that has been outstanding for at least 3 years.

• The discussion is held in-committee due to the privacy laws.

• Council will now issue “a notice of intention to sell” to all interested parties of the land including the property owner and mortgagee.

• If the outstanding rates and charges are not paid within three (3 months), Council will proceed to auction within six (6) months, as outlined in the Local Government Regulation 2012.

• In 2019 the sale of land process for overdue rates and charges commenced; however, due to Covid was ceased.

• Every effort has been made to work with the owner/resident to put a suitable payment plan in place, to avoid any further action.

• Council encourages any resident who are experiencing financial difficulties to contact Council to discuss the options available

Media Responses (26 - 30 July 2021)

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