Blueberry festival and other ideas from community forum
MUNDUBBERA doesn't have a festival.
Biggenden has the Apex Rose Festival, Gayndah the Orange Festival, Monto the Dairy Festival, Eidsvold the Bush Spirit Festival, but what does Mundubbera have?
Melinda Thorburn's idea to change that is a "Blueberries and Blues Festival”, recognising the importance blueberries play in the local economy.
Chris De-Araugo, who was facilitating the third North Burnett Community Forum on Tuesday night in Mundubbera, said, while "jazz, cheese and wine” festivals are a dime a dozen, a Blueberries and Blues Festival would be a truly unique experience.
Mrs Thorburn said another idea was to provide more activities across the North Burnett for young people to do.
"Kids feel like there's nothing going on,” she said.
Colleen Whelan said there should be more aged care beds at Coonambula Lodge in Mundubbera Hospital to deal with the enormous wait list.
Paramedic Shannon Eastcott said the existing hospital building should be converted entirely to aged care and a new acute wing built.
Mrs Eastcott also advocated for the construction of a "pump track”, a type of hilly BMX track.
Mundubbera State School principal Peter Townsend, meanwhile, wondered how it would be possible to have specialist medical services come to the North Burnett, rather than always having to travel to Bundaberg.
He was also keen on the school's bus drop-off area to be made safer for students.
Jane Carroll said, as electric vehicles become more common, a charging station could help attract tourists to the inland route.
Robyn Maeyke, meanwhile, just wanted the cemetery at Mundubbera to be watered.
Pastor Allan Cowburn wanted an alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation centre to help re-teach life skills to those who have lost them through addiction.
"And a car wash,” Pr Cowburn added.
Other ideas included a large flood marker in Bicentennial Park, listing all the water levels of the historic floods in the region, relocating the park's train closer to the railway precinct, introducing hot air ballooning and stargazing programs for "grey nomad” tourism, a street beautification program for Gayndah and Eidsvold, and a volunteer centre to enable more collaboration between groups, such as sharing secretarial duties.
The forum was hosted by North Burnett Community Enterprises Ltd, the company which operates the Mundubbera Community Bank and agencies in Gayndah and Taroom.
Previous forums were held in 2011 and 2013, which provided momentum for projects such as the Jena Boran patient transfer system (now operated by North Burnett Community Service, formerly Mundubbera Community Development Association) and the Rotary Lodge accommodation at Bundaberg Hospital.
Lists of this forums ideas will be distributed to State Member for Callide Colin Boyce and newly re-elected Member for Flynn Ken O'Dowd.
The ideas also help North Burnett Community Enterprises Ltd to better target their grant funding.