Embattled owners of Widgee Engineering ‘set the record straight’ in their own words
LETTER: ‘Legal costs, reports, expert witnesses etc over the (legal battle of the) past 5.5 years, have cost Widgee Engineering about $600,000 and I believe the Gympie Regional Council would have had to pay similar...’
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Letter to the Editor by Pete and Di Saal, owners of Widgee Engineering
As most of you would be aware or seen the story in The Gympie Times dated 17th April 2021, advising the Planning and Environmental Court have ruled in our favour and Widgee Engineering remains at our present location where we have been for nearly 30 years.
From one complaint in 2015, Peter and I have been battling the complainants and the former council to continue our business in Widgee over the last 5.5 years. The emotional and financial stress has taken its toll on us. With Peter battling cancer in 2013-2018, then a quadruple heart bypass in 2019, not forgetting our Team Widgee and their families having the uncertainty of losing their jobs, it has been very difficult.
We write this to put the record straight and the truth of the contamination allegations from an article in Queensland Country Life’s webpage in digital form on the 17th October 2017 and in print edition on 19th October 2017, by the complainants stating: “...they have been fighting to prove contamination on their rural property from a neighbouring, structural steel manufacturer, Widgee Engineering” and “believes they deserve compensation for loss of property value, stress and environmental clean-up costs”.
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It is needless to say, we were distressed and embarrassed, hence destroying the positive reputation we have worked so hard to create for ourselves. To contest this allegation, we employed certified specialists to carry out extensive testing for any contamination. These tests have proved beyond any doubt, there is no contamination on our property and no contamination leaving our property.
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It has been noted, the complainants describe our business as being a ‘visual scare’ and they intend to seek approval from GRC to subdivide their property.
Therefore, the contamination the complainants found on their property has come from elsewhere and not our business. The location of their soil sample test result did not provide any GPS co-ordinates where the soil sample was taken from on the property, hence a complete and comprehensive soil analysis would need to be carried out to locate the source of the contamination.
Now their property is on the market, I believe it would be a requirement to disclose this information to any potential buyers along with any neighbourhood disputes.
At the end of the day, legal costs, reports, expert witnesses etc over the past 5.5 years, have cost Widgee Engineering approximately $600,000 and I believe the GRC would have had to pay similar, meaning the Gympie regional ratepayers.
A request for an apology for the allegations be retracted, was refused by the complainants. Therefore, we want to set the record straight and move forward and do what we do best. That is to create jobs for our local kids, an opportunity for an apprenticeship and keep them in our local community. And finally, be able to say to all our wonderful supporters, our fantastic community, family, friends and Team Widgee: you have all stood by us from day one and we could not have done it without all your love and support – thank you. The battle is over.
Widgee Engineering has won the appeal to stay where they belong: at Widgee.
Widgee, Widgee, Widgee. Oi, oi, oi.
Thank you
Pete & Di Saal, Widgee Engineering
Please email your Letters to the Editor to shelley.strachan@news.com.au
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