BIG DEVELOPMENT: Council admin centres move to next stage

AFTER months of land and tender negotiations, the Fraser Coast Regional Council has cleared development hurdles for its two flagship administration hubs in Hervey Bay and Maryborough.

CBD VISION: An artist's impression of the Hervey Bay CBD Urban Renewal Master Plan, showcasing the new location of the council admin building (2), eat street (1), parking structure (8) and residential and office developments (10-12). A vote on the plan will be held in confidential at the council's meeting today. Picture: Contributed

A LOCATION has been confirmed and exciting additions explored for Pialba's new council headquarters.

The Chronicle understands Fraser Coast Regional Council has settled on a location for its new Pialba admin building.

The council will also explore establishing a high quality hotel or commercial spaces as part of the development. Councillors also approved inviting tenders for the development of a new administration building in Maryborough.

It follows the closure of the council's Kent St centre more than a year ago.
 

KNOCKING IT DOWN: The council's old administration building in Maryborough will be demolished and a new one built in town after a council vote at their January meeting. Picture: Blake Antrobus

In Maryborough, the council's library could be re-located into the new admin building.

Mayor George Seymour said both developments could help revitalise business on the Fraser Coast.

He said the Hervey Bay building would help establish and grow the city's business centre.

"One of the first things people notice is that Hervey Bay lacks a really visual CBD," Cr Seymour said.

"So by moving the council into the CBD you have a lot more workers and it creates vitality for local businesses, cafes and activity."

Shifting the current admin centre from Tavistock St to Pialba was one of the main priorities of the Hervey Bay CBD Master Plan, adopted by councillors last year.

The council's admin building in Maryborough was closed in 2017 after multiple issues with electrical wiring were discovered.

REFURB OR REBUILD: The current state of the council's Maryborough admin building after asbestos and electrical issues were discovered last year. A consultant's report will recommend the building either be rebuilt or refurbished. Picture: Contributed

An engineer's report found the building had reached the end of its expected life and recommended its demolition.

Councillor Daniel Sanderson said 17 expressions of interests had been received from property owners for property, land and development proposals.

He said the council would invite tenders from a short-list of six sites.

Tenders for the Maryborough admin centre will be invited in August, with the proposals to be assessed by councillors in late October.