Hervey Bay Gossip

When we first moved to Hervey Bay in 2003 we were told that the extensions to Centro Hervey Bay were “coming soon” and seven years later the extensions still haven’t been started.

Obviously some of that delay has been caused by the developers … there was a financial hiccup back around the time the global financial crisis looming but that’s been overcome and the developers are now eager to start. But now the Fraser Coast Regional Council wants to fiddle … they want more money from the developers … another $3 million according to today’s Chronicle … and quite understandably the developers have had enough.

While Hervey Bay cries out for jobs the Council wants someone who can provide those jobs to cough up $1.1 million for a public art levy and another million dollars for roads that already exist.

Nero is said to have fiddled while Rome burned and now it seems that the Fraser Coast Regional Council wants to emulate him while Hervey Bay goes down the drain.

Jim Mackellar takes a look at the Fraser Coast Regional Council and suggests that they’re doing the best they can … but is their best really good enough?

Despite the rising tide of criticism concerning the performance of our Fraser Coast Regional Council, we should not consider this as a failure of effort by our incumbent Councillors.

Don’t be too harsh on the Councillors. They are doing the best that they can. It is just that the job at hand is beyond the knowledge and skills of most of them. But despite this most are still putting in their best efforts to achieve good outcomes for the region. But they are not attaining these outcomes.

Evidence of their endeavour can been seen in many fields of Council activity, but so also may evidence of their limitations be seen in the outcomes being achieved. Lets look at some examples.

Capital Works.
In the face of the Global Financial Crises the Council, last financial year, put in place a capital works program of over $70million to provide a much needed stimulus to the local economy. However at the end of the financial year they had managed to complete only about 66% of their planned projects. Over $20million worth of projects had to be carried forward. In many areas less capital works was achieved than by the previous administrations.

This failure was blamed on the inability of Council staff to get projects out to tender and to obtain suitable tenders when they were called for. So, to remedy the situation, the created a new executive position (with new executive salary costs) of Director Capital Delivery, whose role is to expedite the process of completing capitol projects.

Result? So far this year Council is already over $6million  behind in its capital project deliveries. And most of these projects are much needed by the community and every delay means that we fall that much further behind in providing the infrastructure needed by the people of the region. No change in approach, just more of the same.

Economic Development.
In times of economic hardship across the region this is a very important sphere of Council activity. And we have seen much of this activity. We have had studies done, working groups formed to study the issue and finally a standing committee of the Council and community stakeholders formed. And what has been achieved?

The backbone of the economy of any region is small and micro business. The mum and dad local business people who provide the basic services to the community. And how do they find dealing with the Council when they wish to expand to create more employment and economic activity? Very, very difficult because the Council is geared for dealing with the big applicants and applies the same process to the small as to the large.

Thus we still have a stagnant economy with falling employment while we continue to look for the single ‘silver bullet’ large investor while neglecting those who are the very foundation of our economic wellbeing. Once again still trying the same means to achieve a different outcome.

Marketing and Tourism.
Well that sign says it all. Great idea, shocking execution. Only three small problems. It does not welcome our visitors, it merely informs them that they have reached the vicinity of Hervey Bay. It cost an absolute fortune and then our Council, in their great wisdom, locate it in a position where it is invisible until one is almost on top of it. One would think that they were actually ashamed of the sign and tried to hide it behind the trees in the hope we would not notice it.

And so the list goes on. They are trying, there is much activity, much money being spent, but are we going forward or backwards?

Remember back to the days just before concil amalgamation?

That was the time when the good people of Maryborough were complaining that they would have to carry the people of Hervey Bay because Hervey Bay had such high debt levels … and Maryborogh council knew that Hervey Bay had high debt levels because the Hervey Bay Council didn’t try to hide that information.

Well now it seems that it’s not the good people of Maryborough who are going to have to carry the Hervey Bay community … instead it’s us, the people of Tiaro Shire and the people of the old Woocoo Shire who are going to have to chip in to support Maryborough and their failing sewerage and water system.

It seems that these were problems that the Maryborough Council knew about well before amalgamation but decided not to tell anyone about.

Of course now there are some questions that we’d all like answers to … questions that are asked over on Strewth is Back … questions that are probably way too hard for anyone from the old Maryborough Council to answer.

Hervey Bay can expect some very high tides over the next few days and this morning’s peak at Urangan  at 9am was set for 4.15 metres.

At around 7.15 this morning an onshore breeze was already pushing spray over the seawall at Urangan and this was the view from the pier at Torquay. There is a beach somewhere under all that water.

Hervey Bay is seeing a real return to the great holiday times back before the recession. Drive along the Esplanade and you will see ‘no vacancy’ signs up at quite a few of the holiday apartments … the caravan parks are packed … and there are people everywhere.

In the shopping areas and along Boat Harbour Drive the traffic is like nothing we’ve ever seen before in Hervey Bay.

Let’s hope these great times continue on through January.

We’ve had so much rain in Hervey Bay this afternoon - currently 33mm at Hervey Bay airport - that there has been minor flooding in various parts of town. In several places along the Esplanade water is covering half the road and the police have closed the Esplanade between Frank St and Denmans Camp Road due to water covering the entire road.

Despite the fact that the tide in the Bay is currently low the water does not seem to be draining away.

Tooan Tooan Creek is running a banker but it has cut through the sand that blocks the mouth at low tide and it is draining but elsewhere the stormwater drains seem to be unable to cope.

I wonder how the people in the poorly drained area in Wondunna have coped this time … did the council finally fix the problem?

Last week the Fraser Coast Chronicle reported a very happy Councillor Nioa announcing that Hervey Bay now had direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne thanks to QantasLink but it seems that our esteemed Councillor has a different interpretation of the word “direct” to what most other people have.

When I think “direct flight” I think of boarding the plane in Hervey Bay and not getting out of my seat till I arrive at my destination … you know … direct flights like Virgin Blue still has to Sydney and Jetstar used to have to Sydney.

However, if you take the “direct flight” to Sydney or Melbourne that QantasLink is offering and our Councillor was so happy about you’re still going to have to get off the plane in Brisbane … find your way to the departure gate for the Sydney or Melbourne flight and then board a different plane to continue your journey.

Isn’t that the way it’s always been?

This was the scene outside Vinnies in Liuzzi Street Hervey Bay on Monday morning after some local idiots had set fire to the collection bins on Sunday night.

You have to wonder how many of those vandals can’t afford to shop anywhere else but at Vinnies

If you’re heading south into New South Wales these holidays then here are a few tips we can share with you after making the trip south from Hervey Bay to Newcastle last Thursday.

Brisbane
Try to get through Brisbane outside of the peak travel times. This was the scene at about 7am on this side of the Pine ‘River as traffic slowed to a crawl and stayed that way almost right through to the Gateway Bridge.

New South Wales
Once you’re across the border and through the Tugun Bypass be prepared for a lot of roadwork with plenty of lengthy delays right through till you’ve reached Woolgoolga and then more delays south of Port Macquarie around Kew.

We travelled home on Sunday and most of the roadworks had stopped for the weekend so the trip home took about an hour less than the trip down.

The Hervey Bay Water Park was officially opened last Sunday and without a doubt it’s the most popular place in Hervey Bay. Every time any of the Gossip’s crew have been past it the place has been packed and we’re not even into the school holidays yet.

Unfortunately it seems that someone forgot to allow for sufficient parking spaces and every day this week there have been a large number of cars parked under the trees on the Point Vernon side of the roundabout. That’s a problem that’s sure to get worse once the school holidays start.