One of the problems that the fire fighters had was that there aren't enough containment lines in many parts of the Hills. In the aftermath of the fire I recall the Lockyer Valley Regional Council making much of the fact that they were going to make a significant allocation for maintenance of fire trails.
I never did hear any more about it - maybe it got spent, maybe not. Maybe I should read the Gatton Star more often.
Anyway, my ears pricked up when I was browsing through some Council Minutes (yeah, I should get out more) and saw the words "fire trails maintenance budget" and $10,000 in close proximity.
It wasn't what I thought. The money was being "reallocated" to track maintenance for the course of the Lockyer 300 Off Road Rally at Mulgowie in October this year, at the request of the Brisbane Sporting Car Club. Because the track is "predominantly along the fire trail in the Mulgowie area".
Bet you would have imagined that the fire trails maintenance budget would be spend on the highest priority areas, where high fire risk coupled with inadequate fire trail maintenance come together. That's not how it's done in the Lockyer.
Anyway, if you want to see where your fire trail maintenance went, just head on out to Mulgowie on 16-18 October this year. And if they want to charge you for admission, tell them that as a ratepayer you have already paid them $10,000, and may be paying more from your own pocket if your property burns down for lack of fire trail maintenance.
If you want to see what kind of sport this "off road rally" is, get a look at http://www.chapmansoffroadracing.com/. It's really intelligent stuff.
Sort of like the street sprints in the bush. In fact, maybe they could move the street sprints out there.
Here's the text of it, and remind me to send some flowers to Tanya Milligan for voting against it.
17
DECEMBER 2014
Page 341
14.2 2014 Request for
Financial Support - Lockyer 300
Date: 11 December 2014
Author: Jason Harm, Manager
Regional Development
Responsible Officer: Mark Piorkowski, Executive
Manager Planning & Development Services
File No: Formal Papers
Summary:
The Lockyer 300 Off Road Rally has been held
in Mulgowie yearly for the past three years and this event is regionally
significant and attracts in excess of 1000 spectators each year. This event is
scheduled to occur in 2015 on the 16-18 October, and now Brisbane Sporting Car
Club has approached Council for additional $10,000 funding to be used towards
general maintenance of the fire trails in the Mulgowie area and maintenance on
the track for the 2015 event.
Officer’s
Recommendation:
THAT with
respect to the correspondence received from Brisbane Sporting Car Club
requesting $10,000 for track maintenance, Council resolves to approve the
reallocation of the fire trails maintenance budget to cover the $10,000
contribution in lieu of cash in support of the Lockyer 300 Off Road Rally for
maintenance of the track which is predominately along the fire trail in the
Mulgowie area.
And
further;
THAT
Council and the Brisbane Sporting Car Club enter into a new three year
agreement
with the local land holders to ensure the event will proceed for the next three
years, from 2015.
RESOLUTION
THAT with
respect to the correspondence received from Brisbane Sporting Car Club
requesting $10,000 for track maintenance, Council resolves to approve the
reallocation of the fire trails maintenance budget to cover the $10,000
contribution in lieu of cash in support of the Lockyer 300 Off Road Rally for
maintenance of the track which is predominately along the fire trail in the
Mulgowie area. Subject to clarification on the indemnity in respect of
liability and the management of spectator movement.
Further;
THAT
Council and the Brisbane Sporting Car Club enter into a new three year
agreement
with the local land holders to ensure the event will proceed for the next three
years, from 2015.
And
further;
THAT
Council forward correspondence to the Brisbane Sporting Car Club requesting a
meeting to further clarify Councils issues on matters raised in regard to the
Lockyer 300.
Moved By:
Cr Pingel Seconded By: Cr McLean
Resolution
Number: 3809
ORDINARY
COUNCIL
MEETING
MINUTES
17
DECEMBER 2014
Page 342
CARRIED
6/1
Voting
For the
Motion: Crs PF Friend, JH Holstein, SJ Jones, JM McDonald, DP Pingel and KMcLMcLean.
Against the Motion: Cr TM Milligan.
