Call for State to cut red tape on Wide Bay Motor Complex
22/7/2019
Call for State to cut red tape on Wide Bay Motor Complex
Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien and State Shadow Minister for Agriculture Tony Perrett are calling on the State Government to cut through the bureaucratic tape that has stalled a $30 million motor complex development at Maryborough.
Mr O’Brien and Mr Perrett met last week with Wide Bay Motor Complex president Ben Collingwood who has had a decade-long battle to proceed with plans for a khanacross off-road racing facility, drag strip, speedway track and road circuit at the site on Boonooroo Road.
The land is owned by the State Government and leased by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, which has a development agreement with the Motor Complex.
Mr O’Brien and Mr Perrett heard the State Government has declared the Wide Bay Motor Complex is a “commercial entity”, so its lease does not allow it to be developed in line with the proposed facility.
Mr Perrett, the Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Member for Gympie, said the sprawling 300-hectare site was mostly stubby regrowth and clearly had limited use for development, nature reserves or agriculture, and a motor complex would be a beneficial use of the land.
“This is another example of how the Labor State Government’s red tape and its so-called ‘green tape’ is stopping important projects from going ahead,” Mr Perrett said.
“It’s time the Labor State Government stopped city-dwelling pen-pushers in Brisbane blocking appropriate developments and restricting new opportunities for economic development in our regions.”
Mr O’Brien also called on the State Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders to take action.
“This is a massive project that would draw thousands of tourists to Wide Bay for its events, as well as offering valuable driver education facilities,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The Federal Government has already shown our support with funding through the Stronger Communities Programme, and now I call on State Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders to show his commitment to making it a reality.”
ENDS
