Media Reponses (May)

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Published
11th July 2022

Gympie Times: 11 May – DA Applications

QUESTION:

It appears, according to the council's online website, that its planning department is experience a surge in activity with 266 applications lodged last year (the most in at least 10 years) and the dept on track to equal that again in 2022.

Can I please get comment from the council on the following:

  1. What does the council attribute this surge in DAs to? Are there any trends in development it has noticed (more MCUs, or more subdivisions)?
  2. People I've spoken with recently said they have been told their own applications may take the council up to nine months to even "look at". Is the council concerned about the influx of DAs creating a backlog for its planning unit? What steps is it taking to ensure applications are processed in acceptable times?
  3. Additionally, are there any comments Mayor Glen Hartwig would like to make about this surge in development applications? Is he concerned about the influx creating problems for town planning?
  4. Is there any other comment the council would like to make?

 

ANSWER:

  1.  Council can confirm we have received an increase in DA’s. There are no specific trends but it is important to recognise the Gympie region is rapidly growing. The influx in applications shows our region has a robust economy despite many external factors including floods and pandemics -  Adrian Burns, Directory, Community Sustainability

 

  1. Council has a small but effective team who process Development Applications. I understand the time frame for processing can be frustrating but the application process needs to be carried out it a detailed way which conforms to legislation.

Deputy Premier, Steven Miles recently announced an extension in processing times in certain circumstances.

 

This means that for development applications within the Gympie Local Government area area, assessing authorities will have an additional 10 business day for each period stated in the notice (i.e. the confirmation period, referral assessment period and the decision period) where that period is active during window of time where the extension notices applies. Depending on the status of the application in the assessment process, an extension may apply to multiple periods stated in the notice.

 

The 10 business day extension will apply where the stated period:

  • was underway but had not ended on the day the extension notice took effect (e.g. confirmation period was underway on 6 May 2022); or
  • commences during the effective period of the notice (i.e. from 6 May 2022, or between 6 May 2022 and 30 June 2022 inclusive).

 

  1. We have an extremely capable team who at the moment are under the pump. I guarantee they are working within the confines of the legislation to achieve a result for the people in our community. It is important to remember our region is still recovering from the biggest flood in living memory. There are backlogs in a lot of areas of the community not just with council. Please be patient because I know we are working as hard as we can.  I want to emphasise the great work our staff are doing in this space – Mayor Glen Hartwig

 

Gympie Today: 11 May – Rattler

QUESTION:

Can we get a comment from Mayor Glen Hartwig regarding the Rattler?

ANSWER:

The Rattler is a community asset. It needs to be promoted as the tourism venture it is.

In the economic climate we are currently in, It is imperative that tourism operations continue to attract people from outside the region

Mayor Glen Hartwig 

 

Gympie Times: 17 May – QOA Audit

QUESTION:

  1. Gympie council has again been flagged as a moderate risk of long-term financial sustainability, with operating surplus remaining an issue. Is the council concerned this remains a problem? 
  2. Does this put residents at risk of a significant rate rise as the council tries to return to a regular operating surplus?
  3. The QAO has flagged the council's control activities as "ineffective" in its assessment of the council's financial governance segments. What was the cause of this? It is the second year running this has been flagged in a QAO report - is the council working to fix it?
  4. Is there any other comment the CEO or the mayor would like to make on the report and the council's long term sustainability?

 

ANSWER:

  1. QAO’s assessment of Gympie Regional Council considers Council’s five-year average operating ratio, which is currently -4.29%; an improvement from an average in 2020 of -5.75%. 

Council is currently forecasting a modest operating surplus for the 2021-22 financial year and the current Long-Term Financial Forecast 2022 to 2031 forecasts ongoing operating surpluses across all years of the forecast.  

The forecast of ongoing operational surpluses meets the relevant sustainability target of between 0% and 10%.

  1. No.

The full budget (including rates) is a decision of Council and takes many areas into consideration, such as the prioritisation of funded recovery works over the next two financials years (flood impacts), future waste planning, water and waste water, and CPI increases. Ongoing efficiency targets will be factored into the budget deliberations with the objective of achieving a break-even or modest operating surplus to meet the target for financial sustainability.

The currently adopted 2021-22 Budget and Long-Term Financial Forecast 2022 to 2031 forecast a modest ongoing operational surplus. 

This is a challenging space, especially following on from three flooding events and the need for Council to prioritise recovery work, understanding that we are still collating the damage and work that will need to be delivered.

  1. The internal control issue identified in the 2021 Closing Audit Report has been resolved pending the QAO’s sign off, which will be undertaken during their site visit scheduled for June 2022.

Greg Evans- Acting Director – Corporate Financial Services

  1. “CPA Financial management review report which we released in May 2020, was very clear in the work we needed to complete - and I’m happy with the way the organisation has progressed recently, however I can’t say I’m not disappointed that we have only recently made the structural changes that were needed sometime ago.

Even with the curveballs that have come our way recently, I know we are now making the right decisions for the community and importantly the long term financial position of the Council. This isn’t our (Council’s) money, it belongs to the rate payers and we need to always remember and respect that position.” 

Mayor Glen Hartwig

 

Cooloola Coast Today: 26 May – Rainbow Beach Works

QUESTION:

  1. Are you able to tell me what is happening here? [Photo of Rainbow Beach carpark]

 

ANSWER:

  1. Staff are working on trying to restore the pedestrian beach access points which have been washed away over the last two weeks through heavy surf conditions.

 

Heavy rain and lots of it had also washed sand into the drainage area of the carpark so while we had a machine on site staff cleaned it up to allow water to drain away.

 

Last week water backed up out to the centre line of this carpark so hopefully after a bit of extra work the water gets away properly.

 

 

 

Gympie Times: 26 May – Flood

QUESTION:

What has been the financial impact of the floods and recovery time?

 

ANSWER:

Council is still investigating the financial impact of the various flood and rain events, whilst the majority of the financial impact will be managed through receipt of grants and insurance claims, Council may have to defer some projects due to cost impacts and resource availability.

 

It is expected that Council will have an estimate of the flood damage to roads by end of August, with recovery to take approximately two years.