With Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington

Don’t be complacent about bushfires

We have been fortunate this winter season to receive regular showers of rain over much of the Sunshine Coast and hinterland district, but property owners need to be vigilant about the possibility of bushfires. Last year the winter wet dried up quickly with many people being caught off guard.

Make sure you check your property regularly in coming weeks and clear any vegetation or organise safe burn-offs where necessary before as the dry conditions and winds arrive.

You might like to contact your local Rural Fire Brigade and get involved – they are always looking for new members to help out during the dry season.

Clarifying Unitywater information sheet

I have received a number of inquiries from local residents who recently received letters from Unitywater regarding the organisation’s involvement in water and sewerage management in the district. In their notice to property owners, Unitywater states: “While these water supply or sewerage charges may not currently apply to your property, if you have tank water and/or a septic system, you may need to contact Unitywater in the future to access our services, or to report a fault or emergency”.

A number of residents have contacted me and asked – if they are not connected to town water and their properties are not sewered, is it anticipated that at some stage in the future Unitywater will require them to pay a fee or charge for a service they do not receive.

I have contacted Unitywater and been assured that this is not the case and was not the intent of the information sheet. They have assured me that if property owners are not receiving a service – they will not be required to pay a fee or charge.

Hunsley Road follow-up

As a result of the landslip on Obi Obi Road and the subsequent use of Hunsley Road as a detour, I have received numerous letters requesting that Hunsley Road be sealed. I have raised this matter with the Department of Main Roads and they have advised that there is no plan to seal Hunsley Road, and they will continue to work with Sunshine Coast Regional Council who has the contract to maintain the road to a safe standard.

Work continues on the Obi Obi Road landslip area to repair the damage that has occurred there.

Powerlink proposals

Over the last couple of years I have been involved with an on-going process to encourage Powerlink to reconsider proposed high voltage powerline corridor between Woolooga and West Cooroy. At a recent meeting between local residents, action group (PAGE) members and Powerlink representatives, Powerlink indicated that if the government supports its current proposed corridor, the long term plans are to continue the duplication of the powerline all the way down to Caboolture beside the existing high voltage powerline.

While I understand this proposal is some years away, Powerlink did advise they are currently investigating securing a site near the corridor for a sub station in the Caboolture area.

Property owners living near high voltage power lines in the hinterland areas between Belli and Caboolture should be aware of the possibility of this high voltage power line being duplicated in the future.