Question
There has been a lot of comment over time about a road between Kooralbyn and Boonah. While there are mixed views across the community, where do you stand on this issue?
Answer
I welcome the opportunity to respond to this proposed road.
It is a matter of public record, since the 2016 election, that I have recognised and supported the anecdotal merits of a connecting road between Kooralbyn and Boonah. It is also a matter of public record that an independent assessment, conducted some time ago, by a member of the Kooralbyn community, has identified that such a road would cost more than $200 million to construct. I do not doubt that this number will have significantly increased since that time. Council has limited scope within its capital budget. Such a project is beyond the capacity of Scenic Rim Regional Council to fund.
I have also previously indicated that any such road would only be possible with full funding from other levels of government.
For that to happen, such a project would need to have a proper business case completed, including a feasibility study, to quantify the costs and benefits that would apply.
Advocating to other levels of government for investment in what would be a Council-controlled asset will require strong data-based evidence that addresses their priorities and criteria. Since I became Mayor in 2016, Scenic Rim Regional Council has had good success achieving results with other levels of government, through the preparation of sound business cases to support submissions.
It is also important to note that the Federal Government significantly reduced the Infrastructure Investment pipeline in 2023, due to a lack of demonstrated merit within those proposals.
Informed by this background, I can commit to:
- Seek support of elected Councillors, in the new term, to include a Kooralbyn Boonah Road proposal in our priority advocacy program for use with both State and Federal Governments.
- Advocate for elected Councillors to include a feasibility study in the next available budget process so that future advocacy is based on sound data and evidence. Without such evidence, there is no likelihood of success.
I remain committed to providing the strong leadership to build the strong future our region deserves. This also means I only make commitments that I know are achievable through due process and follow through.
