Just as the party balloons have deflated on Kevin ‘07, the honeymoon is well and truly over for the Fraser Coast Regional Council. We’ve just had a read of the latest council meeting minutes and to say we’re disappointed would be an understatement.
We refer to Article 10.8 “Hervey Bay Water Education Park”
There was a motion made by Cr Brooks. seconded by Cr Harris that “Council undertake a community consultation process in relation to the Water Education Park based on the preliminary proposal provided by Wide Bay WaterCorparation” and “Council advise WBWC of the financial parameters and request that WBWC provide final design details and financial feasibility report to Council for approval”
This motion was lost 5/6 with Crs Brooks, Dalgleish, MucKan, Harris & Hawes voting for with the remainder against. The following resolution shows the steam roller mentality that still exists - instead of community consultation and an examination of the feasibility study by council, it seems that the project will go ahead regardless.
Further to this, there was some indication council has sought for the project to be “cost neutral without impacting on any short or long term dividends to the council”. What this means is anyones guess but the only way we can see this happening is if WBWC either starts making huge profits from selling their services elsewhere or they sting ratepayers significantly more for their water. There is no way even the most highly paid accountants in the country could make the $7 million cost to Wide Bay Water disappear.
We commend Cr Brooks for her opposition to the process being taken by council on this project and express our disappointment in the rest of them for failing to ensure the project will not become another White Elephant - lets see if the feasibility study stacks up before we rush about building it please!
“What this means” is that Council is asking WBW if they could please not decrease the dividend back to Council at the end of each year if the Water park makes a loss.
Which is impossible for WBW to guarantee and Councillors should know that!
WHAT ARE THE TRUE COSTS?
If WBW puts in $7million, that is $7million that either needs to be borrowed, or not spent on other infrastructure. The reality for accounting purposes is that the true cost starts at about 7-7.5% [interest on borrowings/cost of finance before any other running costs.
That equals about half a million dollars each year BEFORE we start counting the operating costs, depreciation, cost for regular upgrades and revamps [necessary every 5 to 10 for any major attractions], staff, etc etc etc. Lets pluck a figure out of the air…. say $1,000,000 per year. Now I have not seen the feasibility study….. OOOPS nobody has…… except perhaps Andy Pandy and Tiny Walrus??……
But I am going to take a stab in the dark now and predict that the Waterpark will not bring in $1,000,000 income per year.
Therefore I predict a loss and financial drain. And that is where the Dividend to Council will be reduced. Although the ratepayer will NEVER see that written in any financial statements! BUT the ratepayer will pay in the end! Less dividend from WBW = less potholes fixed by council or more borrowings to fix the potholes.
Perhaps the overall benefit to Hervey Bay [NOT the Fraser Coast]could be explained by some spin doctor but there is no way it can show a financial profit in true dollar terms.
This is not Rocket science!
The Council is being negligent and possibly breaching the Local Govt Act by not insisting on a Feasibility study prior to giving the approval to a project like this. I hope for their sake that the councillors who voted against this motion had their names recorded, because if the Ombudsman or Local Govt Minister or courts ever look into the process, that will be their only defense.
Frasercoastbarfly has asked the right questions and has given us some possible answers.BBS suggested much the same thing some days ago and both are correct in my view. This is not about the PARK, rather it’s about who funds it. As I have stated before ratepayers should not be funding risky business ventures. Just think what $7 million would do for our roads.
It all smacks of bread and circuses whle Rome burns to me!
Perhaps I am too cynical, but both Frasercoastbarfly and Jonangel’s comments are far more relevant than the drivel being spun out by the local rag.
Why the hell are we being conned into accepting a local playground, at huge expense, while there are other far more important issues, such as health, roads, - - the list is endless!
And while I am on the soapbox may I suggest that you
keep in mind that our ‘government’ has borrowed $10.9 billion to fund such important projects in this budget, and that the private bankers WE are borrowing this dough from demand collateral: indeed, they would be stupid if they did not.
The new arrangement with the Queensland govt and Qld Constitution means that ‘our’ government can, and is using property previously owned by you as this collateral.
Yeah, you no longer own anything, the state does!
Great deal for the gov - as they are an incorporated body they are no longer legaly responsible personally, and can spend the rights we once enjoyed in our property, including bank accounts, superannuation, etc, to shaft us as they and their overseas mates as they are directed by the same mates.
Check out the following website for information: http://www.saveoz.info/index.php?title=Land_ownership_removed_from_the_people-...
Welcome to a corporatised Soviet Queensland!
Sorry, people, let me have another lash at the last post.
Should read — to shaft us as they are directed by their overseas mates.
Why should we have some stupid water park just because a few unnamed councellors and pollies came up with the idea after hours over a glass of wine? And shouln’t we be tightening water restrictions as a premptive measure to avoid finding ourselves in Brisbane’s prediciment, not installing some outrageous thing that spurts water right accross the road? Yes, and as if Hervey Bay isn’t in dire need of about a million other things that the money could be better spent on! Get a grip council!
Hervey Bay has permanent water saving restrictions level one I think it says in the paper. The water park uses recycled water and funding can only be spent on the project it’s applied for. There was a display in Maryborough yesterday, maybe you should check it out.
see for yourself; seems to have missed the point, the government funding is $5million, cost of proposed PARK $12million. Where is the outstanding $7million coming from? In my view $7million would fill a lot of potholes and provide a lot of footpaths.But the big question is, who funds the ongoing costs, repairs, staff, power etc?
Still comes down to who pays.
All these projects are being funded by taxpayer’s money, including $10.9 billion (Qld State Budget 200
that has been borrowed from transnational bankers using our once privately owned property as collateral, as stated in my earler posts.
All bread and circuses, and all at our eternal expense.
Of course the pollies will spend $$ on any sop to appease or divide the electorate - this is how they operate!
And we keep buying this crap - and while we are paying for it our ‘leaders’ will keep shafting us.
If you reckon Australia is the lucky country, and that we have never had it so good, as espoused by current and former pollies then why, in the report on foreign debt, are we are number 160 out of 163 of the world’s most in debt nations? Source https://cia.gov/cia//publications/factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html
Rwanda (83) and Zimbabwe (92) as examples are far ahead of Australia as regards to financial responsibility. Do they have projects such as waterparks?
We should be asking our representatives how better to use available debt finance for the overall benefit of the region.
Or better still, fund such schemes with goverment sourced finance as allowed in the Federal Constitution, using our own resources, as opposed to selling our future to private bankers.
Waterparks - recycling - let’s get a grip on the overview and start demanding that our councillors and other pollies start representing the long-term good of our region.
seeforyourself,level one water restrictions state that you’re banned from using a sprinkler between 8am and 4pm, so they’re actually saying you could put the sprinkler on at 4pm and run it till 8am the next morning.Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that 17 hours? I don’t call that saving water! I call that absurd. Level 3 restritions were more than fair allowing us to use a hand held hose betwwen 4-6pm, no-one needs more than that and if you do, then don’t complain when you’re drinking recycled sewerage!
2 WONGI’S DONT MAKE IT RIGHT !
Below is an extract of a email concerning the Feb flooding of Wongi Waterholes due to the gate failure :
” Emma Brewis is on leave at the moment and I am doing her role. She asked me to keep you informed on the Wongi Waterholes matter you raised.
I can report that the Wongi Waterholes were inspected on 22 February 2008. The inspecting officer noted that Wide Bay Water had been pumping from the waterholes to the dam and that further pumping was required to lower the level.
The department is in contact with WBW concerning implementation of and compliance with the IROL following the recent major flow event in the system. The Department is now awaiting the submission of WBW’s operational/quarterly report.
The non-operation of the gates on Lenthalls Dam is being investigated separately as a dam safety issue.
Yours sincerely
Barry Lawson
Principal Policy Officer, Water Management
Telephone: 07 322 47991 Facsimile: 07 340 62190 Mobile: 0407881531
Email: barry.lawson@nrw.qld.gov.au
http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au
Department of Natural Resources and Water
41 George Street, Brisbane Q 4000
GPO 2454, Brisbane Q 4001
Strike 1
I visited the area on Friday the 6th June to find that the water holes had been flooded again , with more than 1.4 meters of water and that the average daily reduction for this level ( by wbw pumping) , was 100mm per day . The water holes have been artificially inudated by the crest gates and they have been subjected to this un natural elevation of water for 10 days.
The IROL which WBW must abide by as the operator, clearly state’s that the excess water is to be extracted at a rate which mimics the ‘natural drawdown rate ‘ prior to the crest gate construction.
Anecdotal evidence from long term residents at Wongi indicates that the maxiumum drawdown time for the waterholes ( pre the 2 meter raising ) is approximately 24 hrs or less.
Of couse that cant happen now , as they have built the loop rd up high enough to stop the waterholes draining ( engineering you see ), i suspect that engineers could find an engineering solution to earthquakes by detonating nuclear weapons in the correct orifices of the earth!
Have a look at my blog site (http://rogercurrie.wordpress.com/) for photos, and relevant email and written exchanges between various stakeholders.
Strike 2
Only one more strike to go !
Hopefully the relevant Premier , Minister for water resources and Minister for sustainable water parks , will aceed to my request for interviews at the community cabinet meeting to discuss this serious flaw in WBW environemtal protection performance, we can’t have our local water corporation flitting around the globe espousing green wash , when the back yard is in a shambles now , can we? , its un australian.
It might have gone down a treat in the Old mother country , but not here Jim lad , some of us love this sunburnt country and its wetlands .
You know, its very easy to ‘talk the walk’ , when you employ spin doctors who believe their own fantasies .