How vote went on Whitsunday issues
WHITSUNDAY Regional Council presented a united front at this week’s ordinary meeting at Proserpine, accepting their officers’ recommendations and refraining from debate.
Here are some of the key decisions.
Biosecurity plan: carried
The council adopted a new five-year pest plant, animal and pathogen management plan with a few minor changes incorporating some community feedback.
The meeting agenda stated 12 people had made submissions during the June-july consultation period, identifying pigs and the leucaena plant as the region’s highest priority biosecurity issues, and calling for a new yellow crazy ant infestation to be included in the plan.
The officer’s report stated “the results from the consultation process highlighted residents are either not engaged in pest management or not happy with council’s efforts”, and that “this suggests that to meet community expectations, council may need to invest more resources in the future to raise awareness and combat pest plants and animals across the region”.
The plan itself lists the continuation and expansion of the council’s feral animal aerial shooting program, and the implementation of a Whitsunday yellow crazy ant eradication program among its highest priorities.
It states pest animals cost the Whitsundays’ agriculture sector an estimated $12.5 million in lost productivity annually, and that the estimated environmental impact is $28 million annually.
The council’s natural resource management and climate co-ordinator Scott Hardy told the meeting Whitsunday’s estimated feral pig population was between 15,000 to 20,000 and that those numbers would “skyrocket” without the council’s feral animal management plan, which included baiting, trapping and aerial shooting in co-operation with Queensland Parks and Wildlife and the state government.
Community services director Julie Wright told the meeting yellow crazy ant monitoring showed the numbers were “very low” at the three infestation sites: Shute Harbour, Funnel Bay and Hamilton Island. The next round of aerial and ground ant baiting is planned for the end of September.
Pet rego checks: carried
The council signed off on its Local Laws Officers’ annual “selective inspection program”, which involves visiting residential properties to check dog and cat owners’ compliance with registration requirements.
This year’s program will run from Monday, September 27, to Friday, December 17, at residential properties within the Whitsunday Regional Council area.
Authorised officers with identification badges will carry out the inspections between the hours of 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.
The officer’s report stated there were 4788 registered dogs in the Whitsundays in the 2020-21 financial year, and 572 registered cats.
For the current financial year the council had received 3777 dog and 468 cat registra
tions as of August 31.
The report stated animal registration and approval to keep multiple animals were “vital in ensuring animal related matters are resolved in an effective and efficient manner”.
The motion was carried without debate.
Festival move: carried
After the Whitsunday Multicultural Festival’s successful debut at Bowen this year, the council will apply for funding to host a 2022 event at Proserpine or Airlie Beach.
The inaugural multicultural festival, held along the Bowen Foreshore on July 30, attracted more than 500 people to celebrate the region’s numerous cultural groups and performers through song, dance and stories.
Next year’s event is proposed to be held at the new
Proserpine Entertainment Centre or on the Airlie Beach Foreshore in or after July.
The officer’s report stated an event in the southern end of the region would “allow for culture and traditions of multiple cultural groups to enhance appreciation and recognition of the diverse cultures in Queensland”.
The council voted in favour of applying to the Celebrating Multicultural Queensland Events Program for a $10,000 grant to go towards the event. If successful, the council will be required to provide $10,000 in co-funding from its own budget.
Development director Neil Mcgaffin told the meeting the council intended for the festival to become an annual event and “take turns” between Bowen and a southern location each year.