Editorial

[Pink]

Is this a turn around or what?



Maybe I'm being a bit cynical (and thinking out loud) but I'm wondering if we have had the wool pulled over our eyes by our new editor.

He's really saying nothing new or telling us anything we didn't already know. He says it's the responsibility of the region's daily newspaper to get behind the council and I won't disagree with that but it's also the responsibility of the newspaper to report the facts, the good and the bad.

I better keep my opinion to myself but I will say watch your back Mick.

[Dougal]

It makes one wonder what sort of back door deals have been done to appease the Chronicle editor and the development lobby so quickly, and at what cost to the ratepayers. If it was just the discounts for so called "Shovel Ready" projects that is nothing new and has been in place for quite some time. We should always remember that a few of the Councillors received election funding from these very developers. See this link to find out who those Councillors were:
http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/counc ... rships.pdf

[winged warrior]

They got it right about the 'dead zone' and the 'chopping block' .... now that Mick and FCC seem to be alies for the moment, Mick's new pals just might help keep some on their toes for a while? Seems they intend keeping an eye on the issue according to the editor. Interesting!

Also interesting is the article today about the Urangan Marina development being stuck with developers and Qld govt messing about .... maybe FCC intend to address this stuckness now? Maybe they will try and get Councillors involved like the recent huge marina development planned for Caboolture and which their local Mayor really waded into when things seemed bogged down? Can't see why some sabre rattling by Council and the Local State/Fed members wouldn't help get this project up and going sooner also?

[JimMacKellar]

OK, so that should go some way to helping to get started some of those dormant already approved applications. But it doesn't do a thing to address the biggest problem. That is the long and tortorous process to get to the approved stage. As can be seen by the statements of the Della Vista developers. They weren't complaining about the fact their application was refused, they were complaining that it took over 3 years to reach that point. That is a long time to have money tied up awaiting an answer while opportunities elsewhere go begging. This is the same reason the fish farm did not ultimately go ahead. The uncertainty about the amount of time it was going to take to receive an answere. Sometime between 4 and 9 months. With other Councils out there offering to expedite the process to the maximum possible extent, is it any wonder that people are looking elsewhere for their future.

To give an example of the best that can be done. A developer wished to develop some land in the South Burnett. They sat down with the Council planning staff to ensure that their application complied with all the Council's requirements. (this consultation was free) Lodged the application and had approval in 8 hours. That is what can be achieved in the best case. Given requirement for public notification the time would have been longer by the length of that requirement.

[Sadman]

Jim,
I am not a developer or a trained town planner/consultant, but there are obviously
rules & regulations. These should be known by any one in this field. But how many
times at council meetings have I heard staff advise that they were waiting on more
information?

If I was a developer and paying good money to a consultant town planner, I'd
expect my application to be right the first time, no if's or but's, right the first
time. I know a town planner/consultant who would not be getting paid if they
stuffed up.

Sadman

[JimMacKellar]

The first reason there are so many 'further information requests' is that Council charges so much for pre-application meetings that it has become prohibitively expensive for small developers. Secondly there is further information and there is further information, if you understand my meaning. I have seen town planners ask for some totally spurious information at times and simply to slow down the application process and to show the applicants who is in control of the situation. Then they ask for all sorts of totally unnecessary reports from engineers and consultants that cost a fortune and take considerable time to obtain. Why, why, why?