Cassowary Coast Regional Council

Councillors and some senior staff had a two hour meeting with Minister Warren Pitt MP in the last week and we touched on several issues that are worth reporting to readers.

• The new Local Government Act should become effective by the anniversary in mid March 2009 of the Cassowary Coast Regional Council inaugural election. Approximately 300 pages of legislation will replace 1500 pages which should make for less prescriptive more principles based governance.
• A new electoral act for local government is proposed. We could see the elimination of divisions in Cassowary Coast Regional Council area at the next elections.
• Councillors were advised that the backlog of water and sewerage works throughout the region will not be supported by state government hand outs. Instead the government proposes that Council borrow from Queensland Treasury Corporation and access grants through existing programs. Council does have existing debts and our ability to service debt will determine the extent we can address the backlog by this means.
• Part funding for the Jubilee Bridge repair or replacement will be provided by the state government to the limit of 30%. This reaffirms a previous government commitment. The remaining 70% will need to be found by Cassowary Coast Regional Council (and federal money if possible). Council will need to incorporate these works into the capital works program funded by affordable borrowings, asset sales, grants and efficiencies.
• The state government’s long term infrastructure plans envisage the Innisfail area becoming a regional freight hub, utilizing the Port of Mourilyan, Mundoo airport, the Palmerston Highway and the main north-south rail and road networks. Council is participating in a freight study and we are pleased the government acknowledges the natural advantages of our location. The benefits for the Cassowary Coast Region from flow on value adding businesses, utilising the seafood and horticulture industries, are already beginning to be seen.
• The state government 2025 FNQ Regional Plan is being modified. The government has heard about and noted our (and others) concerns on lot size, residential density, availability of land in the urban footprint, tourism opportunities etc. In due course we will know how successful we have been in our representations.
• One significant area where the three levels of government still have unresolved issues is with the $9M funding required for restoration of the Flying Fish Point rock wall. This issue is vitally important to effected local residents and has major ramifications given our long coast line in a cyclone prone area