Why are we wasting precious government agency time, ie. taxpayer/ ratepayer dollars, when the KUR-World proposal simply fails at the first hurdle, ie. appropriate development against our regional plan?
*and that the FNQ Regional Plan 2009-2031 could or should be cast aside in favour of one individual’s personal “land investment” plan.
FNQ Regional Plan 2009-2031 (page 24):
Myola has been the subject of significant investigation and consultation in the past, including the Myola Feasibility Study in 2001, the Myola Planning Study completed in 2006 and detailed studies on the Kuranda Range Road. Myola is not considered necessary for urban development in the life of this regional plan. This position reflects the following considerations:
- there is sufficient land available elsewhere throughout FNQ to accommodate growth within the life of this plan
- the plan’s policies promote consolidation of population growth around existing urban centres that provide employment and service opportunities
- oil vulnerability and rising fuel process have implications on satellite suburbs
- the proposed urban development at Myola could not be accommodated by the existing Kuranda Range Road and the cost of upgrading the Kuranda Range Road between Cairns and the northern Tablelands is unaffordable in the short to medium term, in a regional and state-wide context.
Quote from Tom Gilmore Mayor Mareeba Shire Council regarding the Range Road upgrade at the MSC BBQ on 5 October 2016 (starts at 32:10):
“there’s not enough money to do it”
(starts at 7:27)
Community question: “What right does one landholder have to override the right of everybody else?
Tom Gilmore: “More than happy to answer that. Those rights are enshrined in law.”
* Arguably, our expensive FNQ Regional Plan is the community’s “enshrined in law” right to reasonably expect we will know what will happen to our homes and community during the life of the plan.
How much taxpayer/ratepayer money did we spend on bureaucrats and contractors figuring out that:
- Myola land is unsuitable for urban development
- there are more suitable locations for urban development for the life of the plan, ie. 2031
- three very expensive studies / reports should be enough for now, thanks
| FNQ Regional Plan 2009-2031 | State Government | $?? millions |
| Myola Feasibility Study in 2001 | State Government Local Council |
$_______ $_______ |
| Myola Planning Study completed in 2006 | State Government Local Council |
$_______ $_______ |
| Range Road Study | State Government Local Council |
$_______ Tom Gilmore “it cost a lot of money” |
I totally agree, What is the absolute point of a Regional Plan that turns out to be not worth the paper it is written on? I do hope there is a state election before the fate of this project is decided and that the issue of the range road gets a run in the politicking. I’ll bet that if all the Kennedy Hwy – Range users/ frustrated drivers /voters get a chance to have their say about sharing the road with another supposed million per year visitors plus construction traffic this thing would be dead in the water.