Mayor’s View – 16th October, 2008
Decision time is fast approaching for the services needed for the relocated State High School in Innisfail and for funding for the Multi Purpose Centre (MPC) planned to be built in the grounds of the Tully State High School.
The state government has announced that the new high school in Innisfail will open for the 2010 school year at the TAFE site. Planning issues have been by-passed by the government making a ministerial designation, approving the relocation. Access across the Geraldton Bridge could be problematic, but the more pressing issue will be connection to the sewerage. As many people appreciate strong residential growth in Innisfail will be in the Innisfail Estate region. Developers there were actively talking to the Cassowary Coast Regional Council about funding a second crossing under the river of a sewerage main and pump station and they would then recover a deal of the money as other developments come on line. In these circumstances the approximate cost for sewerage for the new high school may have been less than $500,000, which in a total project cost of over $30M would be relatively minor (Note that included in the total cost of the school is an MPC type centre costing some $4M totally funded by the state).
What is happening now is a slow down in development which may be associated with the global credit crisis. It is also possible that developers say ‘Why should we finance the sewerage when we can hold off and let the state government pay as they have announced the go ahead for the school”.
So rather than making a modest payment to join into a new sewerage main the state government could now be looking at options which may include funding the scheme or otherwise the new school could be unable to be occupied when completed. With planning, design and installation, of the required sewerage system expected to take a minimum of one year, a decision one way or the other is needed this year, otherwise opening of the school in 2010 could be in jeopardy.
It is interesting that the new high school/TAFE will not have a swimming pool unlike the present high school. I believe the existing pool is well used and was funded in part by the school community. No decision has been made regarding Education Queensland’s intentions with the old site, its buildings or the pool.
A similar predicament faces Education Queensland and the other funding partners regarding the MPC in Tully. The Federal Government has apparently written to the Parents and Citizens confirming that $770,000 previously approved has been withdrawn. We are still awaiting written confirmation of this position and will then approach the state government and in particular Education Queensland as the principal user of the building and the owner of the land on which the building will sit. It has been council’s contention since the Cassowary Coast Regional Council came into existence that the respective contributions are inappropriate. It is also unfortunate, to say the least, that amalgamation has contributed to this demise as the Cassowary Coast Regional Council has less capacity to fund the MPC than Cardwell Shire Council had in the past.
Again the present world wide economic turmoil is not helping.