Fraser Coast council administration centres in Hervey Bay and Maryborough up for debate

The future of the council’s administrative headquarters in both Maryborough and Hervey Bay will be hot topics in Wednesday’s council meeting.

The future of the Fraser Coast council’s administrative headquarters in both cities will be the headlining acts in Wednesday’s meeting.

In Maryborough, a group of prominent former and current business and council executives will highlight campaign to halt the decision to build the city’s new council headquarters on Kent Street.

The proposal to build at the back of the CBD site opposite Town Hall, that is now vacant after Maryborough’s Fraser Coast Council offices were demolished last year, was adopted at an August council meeting and has attracted ongoing debate since due to its position in a flood zone and amid claims locals like the green space and don’t believe the current plan will create more walking traffic in the ailing CBD.

The building would accommodate the council’s customer service centre, administrative offices and a new Maryborough Library, and would be built over the existing car park to elevate it above the Q100 flood level.

But according to Pat Davis, who speaks on behalf of an action group that is petitioning against the approved proposal, there is a more viable option to house council administration that his group will present to council.

Mr Davis, the former chairman of the Maryborough Council Economic Board has formed the group with Hyne and Son chairman Chris Hyne, longstanding Maryborough GP Tom Dunn, former Maryborough Council CEO Noel Gorrie, Maryborough Sugar former general manager Stewart Norton and former Fraser Coast Chronicle editor Nancy Bates.

Chris Hyne, Stewart Norton, Helen Outhwaite (chief petitioner) and Pat Davis are among the prominent locals leading the campaign against the proposed Maryborough site.

Together, they have garnered close to 1000 signatures that oppose the new building at the Kent St location and will speak at Wednesday’s council meeting about the matter and present a detailed report at the December 15 council meeting.

Mr Davis said if the building goes ahead, not only will it be built on one of the worst flood-prone areas in the CBD it will ruin the town’s vista of the Town Hall.

He said his group is not anti-progress, but believes it is a development decision that could destroy the town precinct.

“Why would you want to build in a flood zone, why would you want to overpower the new green space and block out the beautiful view of the Town Hall?,” Mr Davis, who has been a Maryborough resident for 45 years, said.

The alternative the group plans to present to council includes using the millions in funds proposed for the project to upgrade and keep the library where it currently is, upgrade Town Hall to include the front office council offices, and make use of the numerous smaller council buildings that exist in the CBD for remaining council offices.

Councillor Paul Truscott, who voted in favour of keeping the building at the Kent Street location, said he was not opposed to moving the building to another site if a suitable proposal was presented.

Previously, the council put the development on hold to evaluate proposals from landowners for the site of new administration building but nothing fully suitable had been proposed.

“I’m certainly happy to investigate and consider other options brought forward as long as they are valuable and realistic,” he said.

With a budget of about $9-10 million however, it was not viable to lose one quarter of it to land purchase and restoration.

“We’re dealing with a very defined area in our CBD – it really depends how creative we get with it.

He said he is open to the suggestion that all council offices and the library do not need to be combined.

“I’m hoping there is a good alternative – it would need to be something substantial.

“It is important to make the right decision for future generations.”

Meanwhile, in Hervey Bay, a decision is also expected to be made about whether the council wants to proceed with new plans for its new administration centre and library in Main Street, Pialba.

It comes after architect Group GSA was appointed earlier this year to come up with a design for the project which is part of what the council is calling the new Pialba Town Centre – “a cultural and creative drawcard offering diverse food, dining, social and shopping experiences.”

The Chronicle will have extensive coverage on both decisions on Wednesday.