Wrecker sale talk crashes
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WILL the Wrecker has locked his gates to State Government bureaucrats in a nasty standoff as he races to meet a deadline to clear out his Reedy Creek wrecker yard.
The 78-year-old mechanic erected a “Government Keep Out” sign at the front gate yesterday and was standing guard with Patch, his vicious security guard.
The Government bought the 4.26ha site fronting the Pacific Highway in a $9.15 million deal last November because the land was needed for heavy and light rail track extensions.
But talks about a deadline for Mr Smith to move out have since turned sour after the Government refused an extension despite heavy machinery being unable to access a wet back paddock.
Standing beneath his trademark pink FX on the veranda of his property, Mr Smith said he had lost patience with what he calls “bureaucracy gone mad”.
“It took me 13 years to get the government to agree to pay for the site after they stopped me doing anything with it so they could extend the railway line to Coolangatta,” he said.
“Well, that railway line is still a dream, but they can’t give me a little more time to finish clearing my precious cars off the land.
“Holding the land for the state cost me millions in taxes and levies. Well, enough is enough, if they want to fight for another 13 years in the courts I’m up for it.
“These blokes in Brisbane have no idea of what the real world is like, they have never had dirt on their hands or mud on their shiny shoes.”
Mr Smith estimates he had lost almost three months in work time due to this year’s prolonged wet season.
He said he had managed to clear three of the four lots the government bought but bureaucrats want the lot to create a bus parking area for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Mr Smith said the remaining lot was waterlogged.
The row appears headed for the courts after the government told Mr Smith he had until Monday to move 1000 cars or state workers would move in and destroy them.
“Over my dead body,” Mr Smith said. “They may own the land, but they don’t own my cars.”