Mayor Beresford’s January 2024 Council Meeting Wrap-up

Mayor Beresford’s January 2024 Council Meeting Wrap-up

The first Council meeting of the new year was held at the Civic & Community Enterprise Centre in Cunnamulla on Tuesday 16th January, 2024.

Community grant applications approved at this month’s meeting were:

• Eulo Gymkhana & Motorbike Club Inc. – grant of $2,000 towards the Ambulance and in-kind assistance of a water truck if available
• Wyandra & District Progress & Recreation Association Inc. -

1. Waiver of Wyandra hall hire fee on Australia Day
2. Grant of $2,000 towards Ambulance for Annual Gymkhana April 6 & 7

plus in-kind assistance of grading and garden maintenance of grounds and provision of a water truck if available during the gymkhana

3. Waiver of Wyandra hall hire fee for six meetings to June 30.
4. Waiver of Wyandra hall hire fee for Anzac Day

• Charlotte Plains – waiver of hire fee for use, delivery & collection of generator, cold room, stage, two lighting towers and portable toilets subject to availability for Music Under the Stars April 15 – 17
• Charlotte Plains – waiver of hire fee for use, delivery & collection of generator, cold room, stage, portable toilets and skip bin for event June 20 – 24
• Cunnamulla Gun Club – in-kind assistance of emptying septic tank and providing skip bins for Open Shoot event May 10 – 12

Projects

• New toilet installations at Bob Poncho Park, Centenary Park and Tom Fagan Park at Yowah are scheduled to commence works in March
• Trazlbat is the firm contracted to replace water pipes in Cunnamulla and they will be on site to commence work on the project late January/ early February
• Whilst the Hot Springs building work has been finalised, continuation of an upgraded walking surface on the River Walk will be undertaken in March as will further work to the cooling ponds including fencing.

Infrastructure Operations & Maintenance Work

Roadworks

• Inspections of the road network are being undertaken following recent storm activity and Council has opened an activation for a flood event whilst damages are assessed.
• Medium formation grading and repairs were carried out to the lower half of the Jobs Gate Road towards the NSW border.
• The Council resolved to continue construction of a bitumen sealed section of the Jobs Gate Road for the 2027/2028 TIDS program estimated to cost $1.7M and repair an existing stabilised causeway on the Humeburn Road at chainage 37-39km at an estimated cost of $400,000.

Water & Sewerage

• Repairs to Cunnamulla Bore 4 which was damaged during a Christmas/New Year storm commenced on 15th January and completed the following day. With Bore 4 back online, water pressure in the town should return to normal. Repairs to Bore 2 commenced the following day.

Plant & Equipment

• It was decided at the beginning of this financial year that Council would utilise proceeds from the sale of surplus plant and equipment to purchase a new backhoe. A tender from Hastings Deering (Aust) Ltd for a Caterpillar 444 Backhoe/Industrial Loader with additional bucket attachments for $288,080 ex. GST has been accepted. Council should take delivery of the new backhoe in June.

Noorama Sport & Recreation Centre

The Council approved with minor amendments the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Paroo Shire Council and Noorama Picnic Race Club Inc. and Noorama Sport & Recreation Centre Inc. The Chief Executive Officer was authorized to finalise the MOU with the Noorama groups and sign the document on behalf of the Council.

Australia Day Awards

Nominations for the Australia Day Awards being; Citizen of the Year, Junior Citizen of the Year, Community or Cultural Event and Sports Award were considered and recipients chosen. Announcement of the Australia Day Award recipients will take place at the Australia Day function which will be held at the Cunnamulla Swimming Pool on 26th January, 2024.  A free barbecue breakfast cooked by the Councillors will be available from 7.30am and the ceremony will commence at 8.30am followed by pool activities with prizes.

There will also be Australia Day activities throughout the Shire:-

Wyandra is holding a free BBQ lunch, games & activities at the hall commencing at 11.30am

Yowah is holding a free community luncheon at the YOMSCI hall commencing at 1pm

Eulo is holding an Australian Citizenship Ceremony at 6pm followed by a BBQ dinner at the Eulo Queen Hotel.

Tourism

Negotiations with Queensland Rail are continuing for the transfer of the licence from the Paroo Progress Association to the Paroo Shire Council for the Cunnamulla All Aboard Show. In an attempt to clarify and progress these negotiations, Council resolved to write to Queensland Rail advising that it is willing to sign the ten year licence as offered to the Paroo Progress Association under the same terms  and conditions. The Council has also resolved to accept from the Paroo Progress Association the gift of assets including the cinema shed and furniture located at the Cunnamulla Railway Station and authorised the Chief Executive Officer to finalise these negotiations and sign the requisite documents on behalf of the Council.

To obtain more information, please refer to the Paroo Shire Council’s website www.paroo.qld.gov.au where the agenda and minutes of all Council meetings are posted. To subscribe to the eNewsletter group click on News & Events then click on Newsletters and sign up.

Contacting Council – should residents wish to contact Council regarding any matter, whether it’s an enquiry, reporting an issue, making a suggestion or lodging a complaint, please use the email council@paroo.qld.gov.au