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Bowen business leaders have not held back in sharing their thoughts on a newly released town masterplan, labelling it a âfeel good documentâ that fails to address a âdire needâ to develop and diversify the local economy.
The Whitsunday Regional Councilâs draft plan to âhelp shape Bowenâs potentialâ recently went out for community consultation, and Bowen Chamber of Commerce chairman Bruce Hedditch has been vocal about its shortcomings.
He claims it does not provide the roadmap for industrial promotion and economic development the town needs.
Mr Hedditch said empty shops and declining property values should be indicators âthere is a dire need in Bowen for something to happenâ.
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The communities of Bowen and Collinsville can look forward to accessing vital healthcare services such as CT scans and renal dialysis closer to home next year, as construction on a new $7m hospital wing kicks off.
The new Bowen Hospital facilities are expected to benefit 800 patients a year who will no longer need to travel to other locations, such as Townsville, Mackay or Proserpine, to access the services.
Dawson MP George Christensen, who will attend a sod turn to mark the start of construction today, paid tribute to Bowen Chamber of Commerce president Bruce Hedditch, and other community leaders who made it happen.
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Mining giant Bravus has halted plans to revive a vacant block of council land in the heart of Bowen in a decision that has disappointed the local business community,
Whitsunday Regional Council in October last year approved the sale of a 1.017ha block at 9D Dalrymple Street to Bravus, formerly Adani.
The new building, designed to replace the rail company’s “temporary” office on Williams Street, would have created 50 jobs, a spokesman said ahead of the approval.
But Bowen Chamber of Commerce chairman Bruce Hedditch said the $710,000 sale was no longer going ahead as planned, and the community had not been given a satisfactory explanation.
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However it was approved with conditions. Conditions that we have for every other development we have in the region, nothing special, nothing different, Cr Willcox said. Cr Willcox said part of the developers infrastructure agreement states the works for a water reservoir, land contribution for a water reservoir and sewer infrastructure would be done at no cost to council. However, a different part of the infrastructure agreement states the costs of those works would be offset by the council. What that means is that 100 per cent of the infrastructure for water and sewer is being worn by council, Cr Willcox said.