Bob Fredman slams Gympie council silence on Imbil Liberty fight

Gympie council planning staff have copped heavy fire for failing to inform Mary Valley councillor Bob Fredman about issues with a major Imbil business, which now faces possible closure or millions in fines.

Outspoken Mary Valley councillor Bob Fredman has fired off a volley at being “left in the dark” about a planning battle between the council and a popular business in his patch, saying it raised questions about what elected members were actually for.

Mary Valley councillor Bob Fredman has delivered a scathing shot at local government decision making after being “completely left out” of the loop on ongoing compliance issues with a significant Imbil business.

The Division 8 councillor criticised the council staff after new details emerged about the ongoing battle between Gympie Regional Council’s planning department and Liberty Imbil over its transformation from a mechanic’s garage into a service station.

The council has claimed the land is not appropriately zoned for that business.
It investigated the site following complaints from nearby residents.

In an August 2023 notice of development offence, the station’s owner Bryan Properties was given two options: Close within 30 days, or make applications with the council’s planning department to change the land’s usage rights.

Councillor Bob Fredman said he only became aware of the planning compliance problems at the popular business, which was converted from a mechanic’s garage (old photo above) to a service station, two days after Christmas and four months after the council issued a concerns notice to the business’s owners.

Bryan Properties lodged an application with the council on December 1.

Mr Fredman said he had not been made aware of these issues until two days before Christmas, and four months after the concerns were first flagged by the council.

It had been raised with him by “locals”, he said, and the lack of communication from the council left him to “wonder what staff think the role of a divisional councillor is”.

“It’s embarrassing that I didn’t know anything about it,” Mr Fredman said.

He said he “worked my a--e off for that division” but “no-one thought to tell me” about the alleged problems.

“This is not an acceptable process for a divisional councillor to be ignored,” he said.

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A council spokeswoman said CEO Robert Jennings was working to improve communication between staff and councillors to ensure they are kept informed of appropriate matters.

A council spokeswoman said its staff “do not generally advise councillors of regulatory and compliance matters in advance” but “we acknowledge that improvements can be made in relation to informing divisional councillors of matters that affect their local communities”.

“(The) council recognises the important role councillors play within the community, especially regarding communication.”

She said CEO Robert Jennings was ensuring “communication practices are being addressed to ensure divisional councillors are kept abreast of appropriate matters of council”.

Mr Fredman said being left in the dark meant he had not been able to offer any help to resolve the problems, and ensure the ongoing success of a business that “has been a wonderful thing for Imbil”.

He said it was a repeat of similar issues surrounding the removal of the historic Outridge home near Town Hall in August.

At the time several development applications regarding the home were never raised with the council’s own Heritage Advisory Group.

The home was never heritage listed and the lack of communication with the group left him wondering “what the Heritage Group is for”.