By Melissa Coleman
The Granite Belt Music Council has slammed the Southern Downs Regional Council, saying in a letter to town planner Scott Riley that they lack the ability to make progressive changes required for the survival and sustainable growth of tourism, business and community.
However, SDRC Mayor Vic Pennisi said council had decided to regulate the process through local law.
“We will develop a local law that will cater for precincts with music and how they will work rather than having it done through the Town Planning Scheme, we will do it through local law,” Mayor Pennisi said.
The Mayor agrees that Weeroona Park is a great location for an Arts and Cultural Precinct that can be developed and evolved over time.
President of GBMC Kelvin Johnston says he feels like he’s stuck in the 90’s movie called ’idiocrasy’ and is frustrated by the way council has addressed the issue.
“Council has been given all the ingredients and is being spoon-fed,” Mr Johnston said.
“I’ve worked on creating specific models for all these precincts in Queensland, including Brisbane, Nambour and now the Southern Downs.
The letter stated that after Mr Johnston received a draft town plan from Mr Riley, which had ‘little bearing on the issue’.
“Thank you for including a map of Brisbane and sharing your difficult experience with the redevelopment of the RNA showgrounds,” he wrote back.
Mayor Pennisi said “our dfirectors give us the best information available so we can make informed decisions”.
“One thing that is right is what works in Brisbane may not work in Stanthorpe or in Warwick.
“Council had made a decision on the information presented by the people that are looking to do this through the Town Planning Scheme.”
However, the letter stated why use Brisbane as an example when we only seek SEP’s for two spaces in Stanthorpe and possibly one in Warwick?
“Stanthorpe’s Weeroona Park, which has a purpose-built band shell, also the Piazza, and perhaps Warwick’s Leslie Park with a purpose-built band shell.
“Nambour is the closest example to use, not Brisbane city. As GBMC have always stated we don’t want a Fortitude Valley model.”
The SDRC had been provided a map of Stanthorpe to illustrate the concept.
“We have now modified the map further to make your job easier. In fact, the SEP model suited to the Southern Downs would be even less complex than Nambour,” Mr Johnston said.
The special entertainment precinct can be tailor-made and used for other small towns throughout regional Queensland as an example of best practice.
Mr Johnston has 22 years of experience and voluntarily offers consultation on the formation of a small purpose-built model of SEP’s for the Southern Downs however he says it appears SDRC have missed a major opportunity for the tourism industry in the region.
Mr Johston stated in the letter that whilst you (Mr Riley) may have experience with Brisbane applications, major adjustments need to be made for a regional country town of 5000 population.
“We believe your presentation to the Council is allegedly biased, and we question your capacity to deal with a rural application of SEP’s.”
The GBMC have written to the Deputy Premier, who is responsible for approval of the draft planning scheme and has asked him to intervene as it is a public interest matter.
“We encourage the SDRC to take notice of land usage areas that are already insured in public liability and to take note of where land usage shows the ownership of the land as public spaces, such as Weeroona Park and the Piazza,” Mr Johnston stated.
“Insurance is already there, and to encourage live music, we have requested that musicians are covered in these spaces also as per council policy.”
“This is another item for the State Government to consider how to free up public spaces, which until recently were predominantly unused or underutilized.”
GBMC have created a paper with policy objectives designed to deal with noise abatement fairly and to create appropriate legislative reform.
Mayor Pennisi said Council have made a decision after all the presentation that have been made that music precincts will evolve through local law.
“People need to embrace it and get the best outcome out of it,” he said.
