Council wants its $30k

Waiver of 2014 infrastructure charges notice refused by councillors

A WEST Australian company who is yet to pay an outstanding $30,750 infrastructure charges notice from 2014 has failed in its attempt to have the bill wiped.

Parryland Pty Ltd, which lists its principal place of business in West Australia, applied to Toowoomba Regional Council for the waiver of the charges that were linked to an approved development application for a low impact industry and caretakers residence at 22 Rutledge, Jondaryan.

A timeline prepared by a council officer showed Parryland was originally using the site as far back as April 2011 for industrial uses without an approval, and that council officers had issued numerous letters and notices over the years stating the land use was unlawful, until a development application was submitted in July 2013 and later approved in August 2014.

The purpose of the development was to facilitate the storage of gas pipes and plant/ equipment associated with coal seam gas mining in the Surat Basin.

Last year, the council’s officers were reviewing outstanding infrastructure charges notices when they discovered Parryland was yet to pay its bill.

The council issued an invoice for the charge, recalculated from $30,000 to $30,750 to account for indexation.

Five days later, on May 25, Parryland emailed the council advising “the land is no longer used for the approved uses and requested the approval be cancelled”.

After the charges were added to Parryland’s rates bill, the company again emailed advising the land was no longer in use.

In July, council officers advised Parryland it was not possible for an approval to be cancelled given the land use had already begun and the conditions of approval around external roadworks were not complete.

At yesterday’s planning and development committee meeting, councillors voted in line with the council officer’s recommendation to refuse the request for the charges notice to be waived.