Bribie Island Canal Levy Public Meeting

[Fillet`n`Release]

Just a heads up for those in the Bribie area and want to know more about whats going on with this issue. There's a public meeting at 7:30pm tonight (7th August) at the Banksia Beach State School Hall, on Sunderland Drive.

I've heard comments that Gary Parsons *might* be there (if he doesn't get lynched). And reps from Pacific Harbor developments and so forth. There is talk of a QC being involved already from a legal perspective, so it should be interesting to see how Morteon Bay Regional Council plans to rationalize canal owners paying for maintenance of public waterways.

[sharkymark2]

Any news on this issue. Did anybody attend?

[Fillet`n`Release]

Yeah mate, a *lot* attended. Was an eye opener indeed. Naturally people are pretttttty peeved at how the council has gone about this. Some of the info discussed was mind boggling.

Are you from the Bribie area ?

[Lovey80]

Care to give us all some info on the meeting? Do we have it right that council wants to add an extra tax on owners of canal front property?

[Fillet`n`Release]

The council (Moreton Bay Regional Shire) based on a preliminary report investigating the current circumstance of the Bribie Gardens (Bongaree) and Pacific Harbour canals, sent canal residents a letter in late July with "Hey we're adding about $250 / quarter to your rates because you live on the canal" (totals are around $650/yr at Bongaree, and $950/yr at PH). Supposedly this is for works and maintenance required by both canal systems. There's a lot of detail which probably isn't best posted here at this point in time, but suffice to say by the turn out of property owners, they're very unhappy and want to know whats being done about it.

The meeting basically answered a lot of the questions for people, and to explain the Association that's been formed to represent it's members to delve into things. If you're on a canal in PH and want more details let me know and I'll fill you in on what I can. I believe there is a separate group forming for Bribie Gardens, because their *technical* situation whilst it's a public water way, being loched it's considered a lake, and so logistically was appropriate to keep the two concerns separate. Naturally I'm sure there will be cooperation between both groups to hopefully find a resolution to the issue.

[Lovey80]

This will go down like a lead ballon. All jokes aside, I can see a legitimate constitutional challenge that may rock the foundations of councils all over the country.