Southern Free Times - 27th July 2017

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Week commencing Thursday, 27 July | 2017 | Edition 886

13750 copies delivered weekly

www.freetimes.com.au

Toilet’s fate hangs in balance

Main street comes alive

Burlesque show a hit

Tanny Sports day action

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PAGES 4-5

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Pest fee fleece By Jeremy Sollars Rural producer anger over the Southern Downs Regional Council’s new pest management rates charge and its possible move to lease out the Warwick Saleyards is set to boil over at a public meeting in a fortnight’s time at Freestone. Farmers and other rural landowners across the Southern Downs and Granite Belt are seething over the council’s ‘Invasive Pest Control Scheme’ (IPCS) introduced in the 2017-2018 budget, which will result in potentially huge financial penalties for those who fail to comply. Rates notices issued across the region last week to landowners with holdings zoned ‘Agriculture and Farming’, ‘Horticulture’, ‘Commercial and Industrial’, ‘Residential 4’ and others show an amount for the pest management charge based on a cents-in-the-dollar land valuation. But the charge is listed as a ‘concession’ and only payable if landowners either fail to meet their obligations under the IPCS to control invasive weeds and animal pests on their properties, or if they fail to submit a ‘Control Works’ form outlining their private pest management strategy by Friday 18 August. If the council deems it payable, the charge will be levied as a ‘Supplementary Rates Notice’, issued “towards the end of the financial year”, according to a council spokesman. The minimum ‘special charge’ is $500, but some landowners have been ‘granted’ a ‘concession’ on their rates notices in the thousands, depending on the valuation of their properties. Landowners who fail to comply and who have parcels zoned Agriculture and Farming categories 1, 2 and 3, and Horticulture 1, 2 and 3 will pay a ‘supplementary rate’ of 0.50 cents in the dollar of the rateable value of their holdings, with the minimum charge of $500 applicable. Owners of land zoned Residential 4, Commercial and Industrial (Town and Rural), Extractive and Special Uses will pay 0.30 cents in the dollar, also with a minimum $500 charge. The council has insisted the scheme is essential to help control the spread of invasive weeds and pest animals, but many in the region’s farming sector have dismissed it as a money-grab, with former deputy mayor Ross Bartley going as far as to label it “extortion”. Mr Bartley - who farms family property in the Junabee area - is calling on Warwick and Stanthorpe producers and all other interested landowners to attend a public meeting planned for 11am on Thursday 10 August at the Freestone Memorial Hall. “The main topics to be discussed will be the pest management scheme and the future of the Warwick Saleyards,” he told the Free Times this week. “Obviously, the pest scheme is in the budget, we knew it was going to be in the budget, but there is a lot of anger about it in the rural community. Continued on page 3

Littlies enjoy tree jumpers

Rugrats all rugged up: Childcare providers Pamela and Michael’s Enhance Family Day Care took their ‘little people’ on a trip down town to view the JJJ tree jumpers before the crowds this week. Free Times arts and events columnist SUE KEONG said the children were very well informed “and proudly told me that the statue on Palmerin Street was that of Thomas Joseph Byrnes, former Premier of Queensland”. See more of Sue’s Jumpers and Jazz coverage inside on page 2, and further festival coverage on pages 4 and 5.

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