Sports park to go ahead | Whitsundays News | Local News in Whitsundays

Councillor Jan Clifford is concerned the land she's standing in front of, which will be purchased for a new sports park, will be an $8 million white elephant.

DESPITE opposition from within Council and the wider community, the purchase of Havengrand, a block of land next to the intersection of Shute Harbour Road and Plemenuk Road in Mount Marlow, will go ahead for a new sports park.

Council’s vote was split at their last meeting with Deputy Mayor Rogin Taylor’s casting vote passing the motion after Mayor Mike Brunker declared an interest and stepped out of the room.

At yesterday’s meeting, Cr Jan Clifford attempted to rescind the motion from the previous meeting to allow the CEO to enter into negotiations with Havengrand for council to purchase 95 hectares for a future sports park.

About a dozen people attended the council meeting to hear the result of Cr Clifford’s motion.

The voting result was 3-all again. However, Deputy Mayor Rogin Taylor again used his casting vote to knock the motion on the head in the absence of the Mayor who again left the meeting after declaring an interest.

Crs Dave Clark and Peter Ramage also voted against the motion.

Crs Clifford, Jennifer Whitney and Mark Gaudry voted for it.

Cr Clifford told council that the decision had been made without consultation with the Open Space and Recreational Advisory Committee in the past 12 months and that the piece of land had the potential of becoming an “$8 million white elephant.”

She said the piece of land was in a prime agricultural cropping area and questioned whether it would be able to be rezoned for sport and recreation use.

She also raised concerns about a cane rail line running through the land.

Cr Clifford’s motion was followed by a round of applause from the public gallery.

Chairperson of the Open Space and Recreational Advisory Committee, Peter Chengody, addressed council during question time and labelled the whole process a “disgrace.” Mr Chengody sent a four page letter to council CEO John Finlay outlaying his concerns.

Deputy Mayor Rogin Taylor said after the meeting that the Council was planning for the future needs of the area and that the land was soon to be more urban.

“The urban sprawl is moving towards Proserpine,” he said.

“By the time we develop that area, the cane line will be long gone.

“We are planning for all kinds of additional sporting activities at one central location.”

Cr Taylor also said that money would not be taken from maintaining the current sports park for the purchase of a new one. “Present sporting facilities will not be disadvantaged by the new sports park purchase,” he said.

Current sports park president, Steve Tween, also addressed yesterday’s meeting.

For more on his views and those of other sporting groups, see page 5.