Items of Interest – Ordinary Council Meeting, 19 February 2025

The following items were addressed at the Ordinary Meeting of Mareeba Shire Council on Wednesday, 19 February 2025.

At last week’s Ordinary Council Meeting, the development application for a new dog boarding and training facility was approved for construction at 17 Effley Street, located in Mareeba’s Industrial Estate.

“Mareeba Shire Council supports economic growth, and it will be great to have this new facility available for dog owners,” said Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin.

The facility will offer daycare and boarding services, with a maximum of 40 dogs allowed onsite. Acoustic fencing will be installed to reduce the noise impact in the industrial estate, and a car park will also be built onsite.

Specialised one-on-one training will be available for reactive and aggressive dogs, as well as for assistance dogs. Customers will also be able to purchase dog food and products at the facility.

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At yesterday’s ordinary Council meeting, an Approved Inspection Program was approved for Dimbulah and surrounding areas to reduce the number of wandering dogs and to ensure that dogs have been registered.

“The Approved Inspection Program will allow Council officers to check in with residents to ensure that their dogs have been registered correctly and that their beloved family pets are microchipped,” explained Mareeba Mayor Angela Toppin.

This decision was made after Council received several complaints in the Dimbulah area about wandering dogs.

“Council officers will door-knock in Dimbulah and surrounding areas to check that dogs are safely contained on properties to prevent dogs from wandering into the streets and becoming lost, injured or potentially harming other dogs and people,” said Mayor Toppin.

The program will begin in March 2025 and will run for approximately three months.

It is very important for residents to register their dogs with Council so that if they become lost and are taken to the pound, the owners will be contacted promptly. Residents also need to remember to keep their contact details up to date with Council, so they receive their renewal notices.

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The January Capital Works report was noted at last week’s Council meeting, providing an update on important capital projects across Mareeba Shire.

The lighting and electrical systems upgrade in the Dimbulah Memorial Park has been completed.

“After consultation with community groups who use the park for events at night, it was identified that the park required better lighting and electrical services,” said Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin.

This project complements recently completed upgrades to the Dimbulah Memorial Park Hall, which delivered a new roof, air conditioning and solar panels to the facility.

The works at the roundabout at the intersection of Constance Street and Herberton Street recommenced in late January, following approval from Ergon to start laying electrical conduit at the site.

While wet weather has been hampering progress, footpath extensions, renewals and kerb ramps will be installed in the coming weeks as the conduit works continue.

This project is supported by the Queensland State Government, which has provided 50% funding through the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS).

The streetscape in Mareeba’s CBD is looking revitalised as the works for the Byrnes Street Median Safety Upgrades project are progressing well.

Seven of the eight locations are now complete with new kerbs, trees and shrubs, irrigation and mulching.

“The project has improved safety for road users by increasing visibility and also created a safer working environment for Council’s Garden and Parks team,” said Mayor Toppin.

The final stage of the project is the median strip located near the Mareeba Cairns Connection Road.

This project is fully funded by the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

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At the February Council meeting, Cr Ross Cardillo was appointed to the Great Wheelbarrow Race Advisory Committee as Chair, following the recent passing of the previous Chair, Cr Kevin Davies, in January 2025.

“Cr Kevin Davies has been a part of the Great Wheelbarrow Race for many years, and I would like to sincerely thank him for his immense contributions. Cr Davies’ advocacy was a key reason the event was showcased on Sunrise last year, raising awareness for the Mareeba Shire on a national scale,” said Cr Ross Cardillo.

“The Great Wheelbarrow Race is one of our region’s biggest events, and I look forward to working with the committee and the community to help deliver this iconic race for its 22nd year,” said Cr Cardillo.

Teams follow the 140km Wheelbarrow Way through rich farmlands and wooded Savannah country, starting on Friday, 9 May 2025 in Mareeba and concluding on Sunday, 11 May 2025 in Chillagoe.

Registrations are open until Wednesday, 30 April 2025 and interested participants can learn more and register on the Great Wheelbarrow Race website.

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