Fraser Coast council to take back Wide Bay Water

WIDE Bay Water Corporation will transition back to the Fraser Coast Regional Council at the start of the next financial year.

Fraser Coast Mayor Chris Loft and FCRC CEO Lisa Desmond. Picture: Alistair Brightman

WIDE Bay Water Corporation will transition back to the Fraser Coast Regional Council at the start of the next financial year.

At the council's meeting on Wednesday councillors unanimously endorsed a report to bring the entity back to the council.

The council does not have to pay stamp duty due to legislation allowing a takeover after three years.

A previous miscommunication in 2013 led to a stoush between the council and Treasury over whether the council would have to pay $65 million in stamp duty.

In 2013 then mayor Gerard O'Connell said he had an email confirming the council would be exempt, the treasurer's department denied its existence, and the planned takeover was delayed.

Last week Fraser Coast Regional Council chief executive officer Lisa Desmond said the transition was a long time coming.

She said the transition of Wide Bay Water back to the council was expected to create more than $4 million in savings through the removal of duplicated costs.

Ms Desmond also thanked the council's organisational services director Alexis Hill for her work preparing the transition.

Wide Bay Water chief executive officer Peter Care will become a director when it is returned to the council.

The council will now write to the state Local Government Minister Jackie Trad advising her of the transition date.