Council yesterday voted (8:3) against a recommendation to permit the Bargara Lions Club to remove, at it’s own expense, a surplus two bay shed ancilliary to the former pound house in the south west section of the Barolin Nature Reserve (Bargara Road near the school).
The recommendation to Council was:
That Council:-
1. offer by tender the relocation or demolition of the residence situated at 605 Bargara Road, Mon Repos, on Lot 12 SP225498 Parish Barolin, County Cook;
2. permit the Bargara Lions to dismantle and remove the two bay shed situated at 605 Bargara Road, Mon Repos, at no charge by or cost to Council.
Instead, the Council has now imposed a requirement that the club must go through an Expressions of Interest process for the removal of the shed despite the fact that there hasn’t been any previous interest from other organisations and nor is there a legislative requirement to do so. The not-for-profit organisation has been trying to find appropriate accommodation for some time and has even gone so far as to secure suitable land on which the shed could be relocated.
Council has issued the following media release in relation to its decision.
COUNCIL TO DISPOSE OF MON REPOS RENTAL PROPERTY
Bundaberg Regional Council will tender for the relocation or demolition of a Council owned rental property in Bargara.
Council’s Sport, Recreation and Venues portfolio spokesperson Cr Lynne Forgan said the property, at Mon Repos, had become a financial burden.
“The property, which is located between Bargara State School and the Barolin Nature Reserve, requires extensive internal and external maintenance and also contains asbestos,” Cr Forgan said.
“It has also recently been vandalised causing additional repair costs.”
While the house had been rented for a number of years and before that was used as a pound by the Burnett Shire Council, she said it was currently vacant.
Cr Forgan said the Department of Environment and Resource Management had written to Council advising the house was incompatible with the environmental reserve, therefore, to keep the house, Council would need to consider excising the parcel of land on which the house sits.
“The property is surplus to Council’s needs and while proposals for the use of the house have been considered, those suggested uses would mean high ongoing maintenance costs for Council.
“In addition to tendering for the removal or demolition of this property, Council has also resolved to seek expressions of interest from community groups willing to dismantle