COUNCIL BRIEFS

A TOTAL of $197,000 has been budgeted for work on McKees Road Palmwoods and Highlands Road Eudlo as part of the council’s Pavement Rehabilitation Program. Work on McKees Road from Old Palmwoods Road to Annona Court will cost $72,000 while Highlands Road will be upgraded from the overhead rail bridge to 100 metres past Mossybank Road at a cost of $125,000. The program aims to provide and maintain safe and efficient travel for all road users by constructing, improving and maintaining the road network, bikeways, footpaths, canals, bridges and stormwater drainage.

RESIDENTS shopping in Nambour are reminded that the two hour parking limit still applies despite the parking amnesty. Council will soon be reviewing the trial amnesty’s success or failure.

A SURVEY has been undertaken of users of the Palmwoods Community Recycling Centre to ascertain likely problem areas, or areas that were currently being inadequately serviced. The survey did not provide any conclusive evidence to council’s current misuse problems at this centre.

MAROOCHY Shire Council has compiled a comprehensive list of weeds declared an environmental hazard in the local area. People wishing to remove species from their properties should contact Council first to receive a copy of the list.

RESIDENTS are reminded that in accordance with the Fire Service Act, the lighting of fires greater than two metres in any direction, requires a permit from Queensland Fire Services. The maximum penalty is $3000.

SIR Francis Nicklin Park at the Winston Road intersection will receive a make-over this month. Cocos palms, dead and dying trees and shrubs have been removed, ready for remulching, planting and fertilising.

EUDLO Town Park has received a priority one ranking with the Environment and Community services committee. A concept plan for parkland development in the town is being formulated.

VICTORY Park at Woombye is moving ahead under the Adopt-a-Park program. Woombye Sunrise Rotary Club has planted 120 trees to revegetate a section near Petrie Creek, Burnside Scout Group and Maroochy Landcare planted 238 rainforest trees to revegetate a riparian corridor on the creek banks and 33 plants were provided to the Sunshine Coast Bocce Club to create a screen and suppress undesirable grasses.

COUNCIL has purchased two anti-bark dog collars and an adequate number of citronella oil canisters to help lower the number of complaints made each year relating to dogs barking excessively.
Council receives several hundred complaints a year relating to this problem, and when investigated dog owners frequently ask for advice and other assistance to resolve the problem.

The anti-bark collars work by spraying a harmless scent composed of citronella oil next to the dogs muzzle. The dog then reacts to the scent and its barking quickly stops. Residents will be able to hire collars for $10 per week with a minimum hire of two weeks. Citronella canisters will be available at cost of $15.30 each.

THE Environmental Health Team has met its target of significantly increasing immunisation rates within the Shire. More than 2000 individual immunisations were administered over a two week period. Most schools were highly supportive of the program and organised their children well for an efficient and effective immunisation program. Few schools were either unsupportive or very disorganised and students did not turn up for the immunisation which their parents had requested. This resulted in about 330 students not being immunised and wastage of expensive vaccine.

COUNCIL congratulates Steve Milne for his initiative in trialing deer scarers on Ilkley Road. The trial has been a great success with road kill numbers reduced to almost nil.

A PETITION tabled by Cr Littler from residents of Pine Grove Road Woombye has been referred to the Chief Executive Officer for investigation. The petition called for the installation of traffic calming devices on Pine Grove Road.

COUNCIL has set a ceiling of $10,000 on financial assistance to any one sporting organisation applying for assistance under the Community Assistance Scheme.