Councillor Report – Council Meeting 11 October 2017
Category : General News
Cr Cheryl Gaedtke – Ordinary Meeting 11 October 2017
Agenda Item # 5 Matters of Public Interest
12-16 October Nuts & Bolts presents “Minds on Canvas”
15 October Jammin – Esk
15 October Coominya Community Hall – General Meeting
24– 29 October Ken & Annies Music Campout, Toogoolawah Showground
25 October Kilcoy Bowls Club – 70th Birthday & Official Opening of Extension
27 October Halloween Disco, Lowood
Agenda Item #36 Councillors’ Report
27 September Meeting with Kilcoy Show Society President
28 September Kilcoy Chamber of Commerce & Community Inc. Meeting
30 September Official Dedication Ceremony – Norman bronzed statue
11 October Official Opening of Bridges
11 October DV Meeting – Kilcoy
11 October Kilcoy High School P & C Meeting
Kilcoy Show Society
Met with the President of the Kilcoy Show Society to identify future planning needs under the Master Showground Plan and associated available funding.
Official Dedication Ceremony – Norman bronzed statue
A wonderful morning that offered the community a sincere and moving unveiling of Norman and the celebration of the release of the red deer in Toogoolawah. Congratulations to our staff and volunteers for providing a professional and heartwarming event.
Limits proposed on Waste Dumping
The LGAQ has proposed imposing limits on the distance commercial waste could travel before it was dumped or recycled as a way of dealing with the huge jump in interstate waste being transported across the Queensland border. The Association suggests amending existing laws to include a “proximity principle” allowing southern Queensland waste facilities the option of rejecting waste that has been transported more than 150 km from its source. The proposal is contained in the LGAQ’s submission to the independent investigation into the cross-border transport of waste to Queensland landfills.
Sunshine Coast Regional Council – Trial Program to Control GRT
A 12-month trial program using a variety of control techniques run by Sunshine Coast Council to combat the highly-invasive Giant rat’s tail grass (GRT) has shown remarkable results and will now be rolled out across council-managed road reserves. Listed as a restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014, GRT is an aggressive weed that reduces pasture productivity and can significantly degrade natural eco-systems.
Environment Portfolio Councillor Jenny McKay said GRT was a huge concern for council and our rural landholders.
“GRT is a fast spreading weed that can significantly reduce pasture grasses for livestock, making it a serious issue for our local farmers,” Cr McKay said. “Council conducted a six-month field trial in 2015 that showed positive results, so this extended trial was designed to validate the longer-term success of the control methods. “The trial aimed to make a significant reduction in the presence of GRT and involved testing new methods to destroy existing plants and also reduce the spread.”
The trial involved:
- Herbicide applications across infested land
- Council’s free weed control hire equipment offered to property owners for use in the project area
- Infested areas were not to be slashed during the treatment period to remove any risk of weed seed spread and to maximise the uptake of applied herbicides
- Non-chemical trial plots – infested areas were brush cut to remove all viable seed heads and geofabric was installed over the infestation
- Data collation post spring and summer treatments.
The results were particularly encouraging at the non-chemical geofabric control site where a 100 percent reduction was achieved. This location will continue to be monitored for the next one to two years to assess the ongoing success.
