To say members of the Wallangarra community are irate is an understatement.
With some residents already saying that they feel the Southern Downs Regional Council ignores the community, the council’s handling of the drainage of Wallangarra Beehive Dam has left a sour note on the streets of Wallangarra.
The dam, a popular recreational facility, had been completely drained just prior to Christmas, one of its busiest periods. And to make matters worse the council had failed to consult with the community.
As a result, many of the fingerlings that members of the Wallangarra/Jennings Fishing Club had worked hard to raise funds for the purchase and placement of had died.
President Michael Hurtz said the club also received an annual grant from the government to help cover the costs of buying and placing the fish into the dam.
“We’ve put thousands of fish in there. I can’t understand why they had to do it before Christmas and they could’ve given us two weeks notice to get the fish out,” Mr Hurtz said.
“We may not have been able to save them all but we could’ve saved a lot of them,” he said.
“Everybody’s talking about it around town. I think it’s a bloody disgrace.”
Wallangarra resident Kris Cole was outraged that the council didn’t notify the community prior to draining the dam.
“Most holidays, especially at Christmas, the dam area is a popular camping ground and swimming and fishing facility. The council drained it just before Christmas so a lot of people that come back every year were devastated,” Mrs Cole said.
“There were a lot of irate people,” she said.
Southern Downs Regional Councillor Cameron Gow was angry that the Wallangarra community had not been informed prior to the dam being drained.
Cr Gow said, although councillors were made aware of the project, they were not told that community consultation would not take place.
He queried why the council did not issue a press release like it normally would do for issues that would cause concern within the community. Letter box drops and flyers were other ways the council could have informed residents, Cr Gow said.
“There was ample opportunity for the council to consult with the community,” he said.
The council’s chief executive officer Rod Ferguson said he was looking into why the community wasn’t told.
“It would appear it was simply overlooked. We’ve acknowledged it and apologised to the community for it,” Mr Ferguson said.
“The loss of fish was very limited. The council has indicated it will restock the dam with fingerlings,” he said.
Mr Ferguson said the dam had to be drained because it was a back-up system for the town’s water supply, but it had been unable to be used for the past four years due to the quality of the water.
Story: Rebecca Brown
