The Gladstone Ports Corporation’s (GPC) 50 Year Strategic Plan is an insult, said the Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett.
Mr Bennett said the GPC has neglected the Bundaberg region for too long and his calls for urgent action have been met with silence.
“GPC’s recently released 50 Year Strategic Plan is lacking to say the least,” he said.
“There is no inclusion of a River Precinct that was touted in 2009 as a ‘world-class and environmentally in-tune residential and commercial development’.
“There is no reference to a Marina Precinct and there is no further commitment to any Industrial Precinct.
“After reading through the 50 year plan numerous times, I have failed to find any tangible commitment to anything.”
Mr Bennett wrote to every member of GPC’s board asking for their ‘urgent and serious re-consideration of current priorities for development of the Bundaberg Port’, over one month ago.
He also asked for ‘wide engagement at all levels of Government to fund and support the desperately needed growth’.
“It’s been seven weeks since I wrote to every member of the board, expressing my concern over their plan, and still I have had no return letter, email or even a phone call,” Mr Bennett said.
“This is beyond a joke; how much more neglect does our region have to endure?
“I have waited in good faith for weeks for the GPC Chair, CEO and the board to respond to my letter and to date, there has been zero acknowledgement.
“It just goes to show how out of touch this State Government owned corporation is, if they can’t even accept the serious inadequacies of their plan for our port.
“My question for the GPC still stands, are you planning on doing anything at the Port of Bundaberg in the next 50 years?
“Leadership and a vision for the Port is required now.
“We cannot afford one more day of neglect at the port and definitely not another five decades.”
28/11/19