Whitsunday Regional Council to vote on Shute Harbour leases, Bowen masterplan, Proserpine road upgrades and more

Here’s your round-up of pending council decisions that will affect Whitsunday residents and ratepayers.

The council's $54.5 million Shute Harbour restoration project is back on the agenda this week. Picture: Whitsunday Regional Council

1. Shute Harbour leases

The council will vote on an officer’s recommendation to enter into a lease agreement with public transport operator Sealink Travel Group for the use of land at the soon-to-be reopened Shute Harbour Marine Terminal.

An officer’s report contained in the meeting agenda states Sealink – which offers marine travel services at locations around Australia – has expressed interest in providing additional services from the redeveloped harbour.

It further states several other tourism and marine operators selected through a tender process have entered into lease negotiations with the council, and that “benchmark” lease terms and fees have been established through discussions with both the larger and smaller operators.

The council expects to reopen Shute Harbour in September.

An image from Whitsunday Regional Council's July 2021 Shute Harbour project update.

2. Road safety upgrades

Safety upgrades could be on the cards for Kelsey Creek Rd, Proserpine, with the council set to vote on a recommendation to apply for $124,000 in Department of Transport and Main Roads funding.

If a motion at the July 28 meeting passes, the council will make a submission to TMR’s Australian government-funded black spot program to install audio tactile line markings for the edges and centre-line of the road, and warning signs and chevron alignment markers for the roadside.

The officer’s report to the council states that a 3km long mid-block road section is a high priority for safety improvements as it has been the site of six crashes in the past five years, with five of those crashes either fatal or causing serious injury.

The council is seeking funding to decrease the high rate of serious crashes on Kelsey Creek Rd, Proserpine. Picture: File

3. Bowen Masterplan

Officers will recommend the council adopts the Bowen Masterplan despite community criticisms including “a lack of vision”.

The officer’s report states that the council received 27 public submissions during the plan’s consultation period, with a number of amendments proposed to address concerns raised such as a need for “a better plan for population growth”.

One of the suggested amendments up for the council to debate is the inclusion of the Bowen Marina project as an advocacy priority in the plan.

Another is that “the vision for economic growth not be captured within the Masterplan, and instead be considered in the update of the economic development strategy, which is currently in early stages of preparation”.

In addition to the marina, projects listed for inclusion in the plan are: a Facade Improvement Policy, Bowen Green Core, Flagstaff Hill Multi-purpose Facility, Mullers Lagoon Park Masterplan, Cycle Route Enhancements, Tourism and History Trails, Bowen Trails and Cape Edgecombe Upgrades, and Greening and Growing Bowen.

A council officer’s report states the Bowen Masterplan has been criticised for ‘a lack of vision’. Picture: Whitsunday Regional Council

4. Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy

Councillors will decide whether to endorse a new plan aimed at managing rising sea levels across the region after it went out for community consultation.

The plan has been in development since 2016 but did not go out for public comment until April this year.

The officer’s report states 10 people completed a survey, three people submitted letters, and 54 people visited community information stalls during the consultation period.

Feedback included: Doubt over the science and sea level rise, that the rate of sea level rise won’t affect people individually in their lifetime, support that council was not jumping in too soon to undertake protection work, support that council was reviewing the issue of sea level rise and had a plan, and concern over whether the CHAS Report would affect people’s ability to get insurance in low-lying areas.

The plan that will be presented to the council for the vote however will include “no changes to the strategy for each location and no additional tasks”, the report states.

A new council plan aims to tackle the issue of rising sea levels in a region with 500km of coastline. Picture: Whitsunday Regional Council.

5. Free Wi-Fi for Collinsville

The council will vote on a proposal to donate $3000 to the Collinsville Connect Telecentre to provide free Wi-Fi to the Collinsville and Scottville communities for the 2021-22 financial year.

The officer’s report states the telecentre currently houses 10 computers that residents use daily to access websites including Medicare, Centrelink and job search engines as well as the Whitsunday Regional Council Tech Savvy Seniors Program.

The rationale behind free Wi-Fi is to allow residents to bring their own devices with them, “freeing up computer terminals for those who don’t have their own”.

The recommendation looks likely to pass as the report states the council granted the same funding request in both 2019 and 2020.

A Collinsville community group wants to provide free Wi-Fi so residents can access websites like Medicare and Centrelink. Picture: File

The full agenda, including the council’s latest financial and capital progress reports, and a link to livestream the meeting are available via the council’s website.

Originally published as Whitsunday Regional Council to vote on Shute Harbour leases, Bowen masterplan, Proserpine road upgrades and more