Items of Interest – Ordinary Council Meeting, 19 March 2025

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

Mareeba CBD Revitalisation Blueprint Tender Awarded

The development of a plan which will eventually see the revitalisation of the Mareeba CBD is one step closer as the tender for the blueprint design was awarded to GHD during the March Council Meeting.

“The blueprint is a very important project for Mareeba residents because it will provide construction-ready plans to revitalise the Mareeba CBD between Herberton St and Lloyd St and between Constance St and Railway Avenue,” said Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin.

“Having a comprehensive Precinct Plan ready to go will greatly assist Council when applying for future grant funding to improve the main street of Mareeba,” said Mayor Toppin. This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program (RPPP). The RPPP is an initiative by the Australian Government aimed at supporting transformative investment in regional, rural, and remote Australia. The program focuses on unifying regional places, fostering economic growth, and serving communities.

The scope of the project includes planning and design for:

Stormwater drainage, including redesigning high kerbs to ensure pedestrian accessibility Undergrounding of overhead powerlines Lighting for security and night-time events Walking and cycling facilities Overall accessibility, including provisions for people with vision impairments Car parking, including safety measures associated with disability parking bays Public toilet facilities Street trees and landscaping General amenities such as seating, public art and water bubblers

“Community consultation will take place as part of the planning project and we look forward to hearing the feedback when this project gets underway this year,” said Mayor Toppin.

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New Duplex for Seniors and Mareeba Community Housing Company to Continue Managing Social Housing

At today’s Council Meeting, Mareeba Community Housing Company was granted a three-year extension on the current Service Deed for the management of the Community Housing for Seniors Service.

“Affordable housing is an important issue for Mareeba Shire and one of the ways Council can support this is to make additional housing stock available to seniors who are struggling,” said Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin.

“Mareeba Community Housing Company (MCHC) are a not-for-profit organisation and have been doing a wonderful job managing housing for seniors owned by Mareeba Shire Council. Today, Council has voted to extend the Deed for another three years,” said Mayor Toppin.

In 2023, the Department of Housing and Public Works executed a tripartite Capital Funding Agreement with Council and MCHC to deliver a brand-new duplex containing two, 2-bedroom units to be added to the social housing stock for seniors, located in Mareeba.

“We are absolutely delighted that this project has just been completed and it means that vulnerable people in our community will be supported with a safe and secure place to live,” said Mayor Toppin.

“Council would like to sincerely thank the Queensland Government for supporting this project and thank MCHC for their work delivering the duplex,” said Mayor Toppin.

“Council will continue to advocate for social housing and collaborate with the State government in the future,” Mayor Angela Toppin concluded.

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Mareeba Shire Disaster Recovery Road Repair Packages

At today’s Council Meeting, Councillors were presented with tender recommendations for four road repair packages, following the natural disaster of Tropical Cyclone Jasper and flooding event in December 2023. “Tropical Cyclone Jasper brought flooding rains to our Shire, and with that a significant amount of damage to our road infrastructure,” said Mareeba Mayor Angela Toppin.

“The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) has declared that event as a natural disaster, and for Council that means that the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) are triggered, which provides essential Federal and State government assistance to help reinstate our road network,” explained Mayor Toppin.

Today, Councillors approved the recommendations for the tenders of four extensive road packages.

Eastern roads – IKCO Pty Ltd Dimbulah roads – Cheshire Contractors Mid-western roads – Gregg Construction Pty Ltd Western roads – Gregg Construction Pty Ltd

“Council officers will now work with QRA to ensure the scope of works aligns with the requirements of the DRFA support and once Council receives the final tick of approval the contractors will be engaged to begin the works,” said Mayor Toppin.

“Mareeba Shire Council is sincerely grateful for the support it receives from QRA, it simply would not be possible to undertake these works without this funding from the Federal and Queensland governments,” concluded Mayor Toppin.

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Mareeba Shire Residents are Avid Recyclers

At today’s Council meeting, Councillors reviewed an update about waste trends in Mareeba Shire.

“There are so many items that can be recycled at your local transfer station,” said Deputy Mayor and environmental advocate Cr Lenore Wyatt.

“In February, it was interesting to learn that by far the most recycled item was chemical drums, followed by engine oil and different metals,” said Cr Wyatt.

Cr Wyatt continued, “it was encouraging to see that household batteries are also being taken to the transfer stations for recycling. Batteries can be very dangerous when damaged and have caused fires when placed in wheelie bins, so please remember – never bin a battery!”

The latest statistics were recently released by Containers for Change.

Container Exchange Points and Bag Drops are a convenient way for people to recycle their eligible containers in exchange for a 10-cent refund.

Mareeba Shire Council was one of the first councils in Queensland to sign up to this outdoor recycling initiative, which helps keep litter out of public spaces and increases the amount of 10-cent refunds claimed by the community and local charities.

“Mareeba Shire is home to many avid recyclers, with more than 8.9 million beverage containers returned through the Containers for Change scheme in our council area last year,” said Cr Wyatt. These returns put almost $900,000 in 10-cent refunds back into the pockets of residents, community groups and charities.

The Container Exchange Point is located at 11 Bowers Street Mareeba and there are three bag drop sites located at the carpark next to the Mareeba Heritage Museum along Byrnes Street, at the end of Arara Street behind the Kuranda Library and in the carpark in Raleigh Street Dimbulah.

To find out how more about recycling and how to use the Containers for Change program, visit: Containers for Change Bag Drop in Kuranda, Mareeba and Dimbulah – Mareeba Shire Council While the vast majority of residents do the right thing and keep our Shire clean, Council would like to remind everyone that dumping rubbish is illegal and hefty fines are in place. “Dumping waste is harmful to our environment and to the community,” said Cr Wyatt.

If you witness someone illegally dumping, report it to Council on 1300 308 461 or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68). Reports can also be lodged online at the Department of Environment, Land and Water’s website or sent to [email protected].

Of the littering reports received by the department, almost 75% result in the registered owner of the vehicle or boat receiving a penalty infringement notice.

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All Current Sites Sold for Mareeba Industrial Park

The available sites at the Mareeba Industrial Park have all been sold, Councillors recently heard at the March Council meeting.

“Mareeba Property Office (MPO) has been managing the marketing services and sale of the lots at the Mareeba Industrial Park since 2022,” explained Mareeba Mayor Angela Toppin. “In that time, all 16 lots in the current stage have been sold, supporting bustling agriculture, transport and construction industries in our Shire,” said Mayor Toppin.

The Mareeba Industrial Park will see over 180 hectares of land being developed over the next thirty years.

The MIP’s ideal location is close to road transport, fuel depots and it is suitable for all types of industrial activity.

Sites will have access to secure potable water supply, with underground power, sewerage and telephone services provided.

“MPO have done a fantastic job to sell all of the currently available sites and have been awarded the marketing contract to continue this work for another two years, with the option to renew for a further two years,” said Mayor Toppin.

Council has begun plans to develop the next section of the MIP.

For more information or to register your interest, please visit: Mareeba Property Office’s website. 

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Projects Underway Across the Shire

Updates on important projects across Mareeba Shire were provided at the March Council meeting.

Herberton St and Constance St Roundabout The highly anticipated project to install a new roundabout at the Herberton St and Constance St intersection in Mareeba has made progress during February with all the Ergon conduit installations now complete.

Footpath works have also commenced, and the project should be completed by mid-May 2025, weather permitting.

“The upgrade will improve the safety of all road users and will address congestion, speed and visibility issues,” said Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin.

“Traffic detours are in place, and we thank the community for their patience while this important project is carried out,” said Mayor Toppin.

This project is proudly funded by the Queensland Government through the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme and Mareeba Shire Council.

Coondoo Street and Centenary Park Kuranda Streetscape Improvements for the Coondoo Street and Centenary Park Kuranda project are well underway. Footpaths in the park are being repaired and will match the look and feel of the current pathways. The works for the planter boxes has also begun and the removal of competing plants growing in the iconic fig trees has started to protect the trees. Preparations for the electrical pillars has also begun in the garden beds to support the fairy lights for the fig trees.

“It is fantastic to see the progress made for the works in Kuranda and we look forward to seeing the final upgrades,” said Mayor Toppin.

Constance Street Footpath Works are well underway for the new footpath on Constance Street towards Lloyd Street. The project will improve the safety of pedestrians and school students by having a safe place to walk away from the road. The project will also see additional parking installed along Constance Street.

Chewko Road The rehabilitation works are also progressing well along Chewko Road after commencing last month. The project scope includes the relocation of a water main, upgrade accesses, widen and seal the existing pavement and drainage improvements.

“The driveway accesses and the culvert extensions have been completed and the drainage works are well underway with the project estimated to be completed by mid-April 2025, weather permitting,” said Mayor Toppin.

The project is being funded 50/50 by Mareeba Shire Council and the Queensland Government through the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS).

Mareeba Animal Management Facility The Mareeba Animal Management Facility is owned by Mareeba Shire Council and leased to Friends of the Animals to rehome and care for pets. During February, new concrete slabs were laid to prevent contagious diseases in the soil and make it easier to clean enclosures. New shade sails were also installed over the outdoor running areas.

Emerald End Road Culvert The construction of the Emerald End Road culvert has been ongoing after the section of the road was washed away during the flooding from ex-tropical cyclone Jasper in December 2023. The downstream batter protection and pavement works are ongoing, and the project is scheduled for completed in late April 2025, weather permitting. This project has been supported by Queensland Reconstruction Authority as part of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

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