Bruce Saunders slams $93m Hervey Bay CBD project that divides Fraser Coast

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders has slammed the Fraser Coast Council’s approval of a $93 million Hervey Bay CBD project as a misuse of money that leaves Maryborough residents out in the cold.

MP Bruce Saunders has unleashed a scathing attack on the Fraser Coast Council, calling their approval of the $93million Hervey Bay CBD project “out of touch”.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders has unleashed a scathing attack on the Fraser Coast Council, calling their approval of the $93 million Hervey Bay CBD project “out of touch” and one that divides the region.

He has slammed the project, which is the construction of a new Hervey Bay library and council administration centre that will incorporate a disaster resilience centre, as the “Hervey Bay Taj Mahal” that is driving a wedge between the people of Maryborough and Hervey Bay.

It would be partially funded with $40 million awarded from the Hinkler Regional Deal, but the council would need to borrow more than $50 million to construct the new facilities, a figure Mr Saunders said would blow out.

He claims the council snuck the CBD vote in quietly while all eyes were on its decision to write to the Premier over concerns surrounding the State Government’s approaching vaccine mandate.

He called the project a blatant waste of money that many residents were against and which would leave them battling a rate rise.

“I’ve got outlying areas in my electorate that have huge infrastructure problems,” he said.

“I’ve got water flowing through people’s yards in Maryborough, roads crumbling, guttering falling apart, the list goes on – yet they can find $60m to borrow for this building in Hervey Bay.

The project has the backing of councillors including Denis Chapman who said at the meeting the council should not be intimidated by the price tag.

“They are just out of touch. I’m getting inundated with people who do not want a $100m spend – it’s right across my electorate – not just in Maryborough city.

“I think the council should revisit and go back and talk to the people.”

He said any divide in the region had been made by the council.

“I want us to be one region, I have fought for us to be one region.

“We can’t even get a building in Maryborough, yet they are getting the Taj Mahal in Hervey Bay. Council will be sitting up looking at the beach out of their windows and (the people in Maryborough) don’t’ have footpaths, don’t have guttering and other basic council infrastructure. “

Saunders said he was not in favour of the Hinkler Regional Deal, arguing that the federal funding should have been awarded to Wide Bay, not the seat of Hinkler, part of which was now being used to fund the $93m project.

The project was given the green light at last week’s council meeting when it was put to a vote and carried in favour 9 to 2. Of those who endorsed the project’s “functional brief” and concept design, the benefits outweighed the financial outlay.

Council CEO Ken Diehm told councillors the project was one the council could afford, but MP Bruce Saunders called it a waste of money. Photo: Cody Fox

Councillor Denis Chapman said at the meeting the council should not be intimated by the price tag of the project that would be a game changer for the region.

“We only get one chance in a lifetime to do a project like this and the Hinkler deal is funding $40m into this project,” he said.

“Debt is not a bad word, debt is our way of moving forward. I feel that this extra money that we spend today, we save tomorrow.”

Mr Saunders said Mr Chapman‘s sentiments on spending told a different story to last year when he was the running LNP state candidate who was against state debt and concerned about how it affected constituents.

The Member for Maryborough said the newly approved council project was a waste of money and the timing of borrowing more than $50m was poor when it was unknown how the region was going to be affected by Covid when state borders opened.

He questioned how many jobs the $93m project would bring to the region. He said by comparison, the $239m train manufacturing centre recently announced for Torbanlea as part of the State’s multi-billion dollar investment in state train infrastructure would generate 800 jobs and provide an asset.

“They have a perfectly good block at of land at Tavistock St – why do we need to spend $100m and I want to know why these councillors can justify it?”

Fraser Coast Council CEO Ken Diehm told councillors at last week’s meeting that it was a project the council could afford.

“Our debt is the lowest it has ever been,” Mr Diehm said.

“Debt is under $60m and at one stage it was about $120m. If the community could afford $120m debt 10 years ago, it can afford the sort of debt that we are looking at now.”

Fraser Coast Property Industry Association president Glen Winney this week said he believed the project would not only create construction jobs but bring employment opportunities to the region.

“It will bring 400 council workers out of suburbia and put them in the CBD. It will bring 1000 people to the library each day. This will restimulate the CBD – bringing small retailers to the area,” he said.