South Burnett's Advocacy Action Plan Launched

The Advocacy Plan promotes the infrastructure and funding needs of the region to state and federal decisionmakers.

“The South Burnett has a great future, but it depends on putting our case successfully to other levels of government. Funding decisions on water, roads, industry, digital access and social services are highly competitive. The South Burnett now has a document we can put in the hands of state and federal MPs and Ministers and those seeking political office,” said Mayor Otto.

“I’d like to thank local councillors who worked hard putting this plan together, recognising that unity of purpose will help deliver crucial benefits for the South Burnett.”

“This is transformation time for the region. Urgent investment is required to give rural and regional communities a fair go and to give all of our communities the same opportunities and living standards as those living in our cities.”

 Key priorities of the Action Plan include: -

• Increased affordable housing supply and improved community health services
• Increase in agricultural water supply and reliability, with assessment of Gordonbrook Dam for irrigation use, off-site water collection from Boondooma, new water for Blackbutt irrigators, the Barlil Weir and a potential weir project on the West Barambah Catchment

• Improved road infrastructure including the Mundubbera-Durong Road, Memerambi – Gordonbrook Road, Kingaroy Barkers Creek Road, and Byee Road; upgrade of guardrails and bridges
• Critical transport assets including rail trails and cycleways
• Continued Commonwealth investment in major connecting freight routes to enable product to reach export markets via Bundaberg Port, Wellcamp Airport or Brisbane
• Increase funding by 10% from Roads to Recovery and the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Programmes
• Support for renewable energy projects, investment in the food manufacturing and processing sector and improve the usage of the Kingaroy Airport
• National Park infrastructure and nature-based tourism
• Transform Kingaroy as a 'Smart Country Hub' with investment in QCN fibre, a purpose sited ABC rebroadcast tower, and a minimum of two new mobile phone towers in the South Burnett as part of the Mobile Blackspot Program.

“Since 1996, local government costs have increased over 400% while the value of the Financial Assistance Grant from the Federal Government has fallen from 1% of Commonwealth tax revenue to just 0.55%. Our ratepayers have lower incomes but the demand for both infrastructure and operational spending is higher per person. The Advocacy Action Plan tells the world what our priority funding needs are,” said Mayor Otto.

Mayor Otto said that the South Burnett is an area that can deliver great growth and more jobs. “The Advocacy Plan is about local leadership and making sure the South Burnett is front and centre in the minds of state and federal Ministers, MPs and political candidates. It will help us extract the best possible deal for families and business in the South Burnett.”

A copy of the Advocacy Plan is available here.