Report into Rattler blowouts risk being buried forever

A Right to Information exemption could bury the long-awaited Rattler Report from public eyes, and forever leave unanswered the question around what caused more than $7 million in blowouts when getting the tourist train back up and running.

The release of the long-awaited report into what caused the multimillion-dollar blowouts during the Rattler’s rebuild is in limbo with Gympie Regional Council saying they have handed the document to other agencies and are currently prohibited from releasing it.

Answers about the multi-million dollar blowouts that plagued the resurrection of the Mary Valley Rattler may never be publicly revealed, with Gympie Regional Council saying it is prohibited from releasing the report in the immediate future.

Responding to questions from The Gympie Times about the long-awaited release of the infamous Rattler Report, council CEO Shane Gray said the council’s hands were tied.

“(The) council are unable to release the ‘Rattler Report’ as this document is now sitting with several external agencies which prohibits release,” Mr Gray said.

“(The) council would like the report released and will do so as soon as able.”

It is understood the Crime and Corruption Commission is one of the agencies that has the report.

A CCC spokesman declined to comment on whether or not it had received a complaint, as per its policy.

Ratepayers face a long wait for the truth behind the Rattler’s blowouts, which could now be at risk of being buried under a Right to Information exemption. Picture: LEEROY TODD

The secrecy around the report has long been a contentious issue for the council.

It was commissioned in April 2018, with an initial promise to be delivered to the council in July that year.

The release of the final report was then delayed until September, and again into early 2019, before being shelved indefinitely owing to a potential alleged legal issue with a contractor that never eventuated.

Councillors were told at the time it was only about 60 per cent finished.

In December 2020, the council revealed a final draft of the document had been sent to the council two years earlier; councillors voted unanimously to release it “at a time deemed appropriate” after it was considered and reviewed.

Council CEO Shane Gray says the organisation would like to release the report “as soon as possible”.

But the decision to hand it off to other agencies raises questions of not only when, but if the report will ever be made public.

Under state legislation any information “obtained, used or prepared” by the CCC or another prescribed crime body in the performance of its function may be exempt from Right to Information requests.

The only exception to this is when an investigation has been finalised and the information sought is about the applicant.

It was this exemption which led to an investigative report into allegations of bullying within the Sunshine Coast Council during the tenure of former CEO Michael Whittaker being locked away from the public’s eye.

The document was found to fall within the exemption, despite having only been used briefly before being handed back to the council.