2017-02-16 Ordinary Meeting Agenda

ORDINARY MEETING AGENDA                                                     16 FEBRUARY 2017


7   ORDINARY MEETING REPORTS


    1.   APPLICATION TO THE BUILDING BETTER REGIONS FUND FOR THE RUFOUS
         STREET MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT

    Author            Director Community Services – Alan (Fox) Rogers
                      Community Services Department

    Index             ECM / Subject / 69.02 Community Services Section

    Attachments       1.   Rufous St Master Plan


    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
    Not applicable.

    RECOMMENDATION
    That Council note the report by the Director Community Services to the Ordinary Meeting
    dated 16 February 2017 and
    A.   Approve the submission of a funding application to the Australian Government’s
         Building Better Region Fund for the Rufous St Master Plan development; and
    B.   Agree, should the BBRF application be successful, to allocate funds in the 2018/19
         budget to ensure that Council can meet its financial obligations with respect to the
         Master Plan construction.

    REPORT
    Background
    Following its purchase of the Peregian Bowls Club site in November 2014 and a lengthy
    period of community consultation Council agreed to the Rufous St Master Plan (the Master
    Plan) in March 2016.
    Based on this masterplan, Council subsequently approved a Material Change of Use and
    the reconfiguring of lot at 253 & 255 David Low Way and 5-7 Rufous Street, Peregian
    Beach on 21 July 2016. This approval allows the development of the old bowls club site to
    proceed.
    Key elements of the Master Plan development include civil works in Rufous St, the
    construction of a Digital Hub building to house IT enterprises, the relocation of the Peregian
    Community House, the provision of additional car parking spaces and the landscaping of
    4,320m2 of open space to be known as Peregian Green.
    Funding was allocated in Council’s 2016/17 budget for the Rufous St civil works and to
    commence construction of the Digital Hub building.
    In late November 2016 the State Government announced funding of just over $1 million
    from its Local Government Infrastructure Program to assist with the construction of the
    Digital Hub on the proviso that the building was completed within 12 months.
    Work commenced on the civil works in Rufous St in January 2017 and tenders for the
    construction of the Digital Hub closed on 10 February 2017. There is currently considerable
    interest in the IT industry in locating business at the Digital Hub.




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