Gympie Mayor Ron Dyne is opposed to timber plantations being used as a way to revive the Mary Valley in south-east Queensland. The State Government is trying to sell hundreds of properties acquired for the failed Traveston Crossing dam project. Source: ABC News
The State Government wants to attract agribusiness to the Mary Valley and Timber Queensland is seeking to lease the land for forestry plantations. But Councillor Dyne says a monoculture strategy is not a good idea.
“We need to broaden the base in the Mary Valley so that we get better employment levels,” he said. “There are a number of options there that the State Government are looking at – ginger plantations, nut plantations and also the chicken meat industry.
“We really need to concentrate on that.”
Councillor Dyne says no rates are paid on almost half the Gympie council area at present, and he does not want the proportion of non-rateable land to be increased.
