Concern grows over Fraser Coast Council decision to build admin centre in flood zone

Concern regarding the council’s decision to build its administration hub at the old, flood prone site is growing

A parliamentarian, a former city CEO and the owner of the Royal Hotel, now under restoration, have joined the fierce opposition to Fraser Coast Regional Council’s plan to close the Maryborough library and build a new administration building in a flood zone.

Mayor George Seymour and deputy mayor Darren Everard voted against the controversial plan to put a new building on stilts in the food zone bordering Woolworths car park.

As Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders vowed that the State Government would not be party to leasing office space because it would harm the rejuvenation of the inner city, former Maryborough City Council CEO Noel Gorrie also said the decision was wrong.

“The location of the previous administration centre was in a flood area,” Mr Gorrie said in a rare Facebook comment.

“You could build a new centre with a floor level above a Q100 flood level but you would not be able to access it unless you used a boat or maybe a chair lift from the City Hall clock tower, but even then I’m not sure if you could still access the back of the City Hall.”

Aaron Skuse’s drone shot of the Fraser Coast Regional Council administration building in Maryborough being demolished.

Mr Gorrie said the demolished building had a floor level just above the 1955 flood but not as high as the 1893 deluge.

“I can remember a flood in the 1990s which was lower than both but you had to walk through water to access the building,” he said.

Referring to a comment from a Fraser Coast councillor that developing a new administration centre was “a once in a generation change and a legacy for this council so we want to get it right”, Mr Gorrie said he did not believe the decision was right.

“You would think that the opportunity to move out of a flood area would be enthusiastically embraced and the suggestion to move the library into a flood area would be immediately dismissed,” he said.

“I would hope that common sense will prevail. I am sure there are better options.”

The owner of the company restoring the Royal Hotel said the Fraser Coast Council should rethink its decision to build in a flood zone behind the old baby clinic.

Ivan Simon said it seemed ludicrous to be putting up a new building when there was so much empty space waiting for a new life within the CBD.

“I don’t think this is serving the ratepayers well at all,” he said.

Mr Simon, who has also bought other significant properties in Maryborough and has restored more than 50 heritage buildings in other parts of South East Queensland, said he was concerned that the council was sending the wrong message to potential investors if it closed the library building.

“Looking down (from the Royal Hotel) to that area of Bazaar Street you can see it is already pretty quiet. If the library is shut down it will become a ghost area. It doesn’t give anyone much confidence if the council is not willing to invest here,” he said.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders said he was disappointed the council had not looked at the opportunity to stimulate activity in the inner city, voting instead to build in a flood zone area that was an existing destination point.

“The State Government was interested in leasing offices in the new council administration building in Maryborough but on the understanding that the new centre would be built strategically to help the sustainability of the inner city,” he said.

“This is the basis of plans around the world where the importance of planning to reactivate and populate city centres is realised. I hope the Fraser Coast Council thinks again about this – closing the library and shoving it into that small area would be disastrous. It will create a dead zone in Bazaar Street.”

CBD DEMOLITION: Former Fraser Coast Council administration building in Maryborough when it was scheduled for demolition.

A statement from the Fraser Coast Council said the building would be elevated above the Q100 flood level, with car parking underneath.

“Council put the development on hold as it evaluated proposals from landowners to build an admin centre for us on other properties within the CBD,” councillor Paul Truscott said.

“After evaluating eight proposals, we have decided to continue with the redevelopment of our existing site on the corner of Lennox and Kent Streets.”

The new building will accommodate council’s customer service centre, financial and administrative functions, and a new Maryborough Library.

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