Page 3 - Environment Levy News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Adding to the oddity, the levy report has itself now become the centre of controversy. The strategy uploaded to the council’s website after it was endorsed said the environment report would not simply be investigated but actually developed. Conservation groups have called for the publication of the 2018-19 report, criticising the new council for declining requests for its release as contrary to its commitment to transparency as part of a wider attack over "unprecedented" funding delays. Mr Gray said in response late last week the council could not release such a report as it had not be...

Gympie council CEO Shane Gray has refuted criticism of "unprecedented delays" in its awarding of environmental grants, and said such funding needed to be signed off by councillors, something which had not been done in the past. The council's process came under fire this year in a letter written and signed by three of the region's environmental groups: Cooloola Coast Care Association, Gympie and District Landcare Group, and Koala Action Gympie Region. The groups slammed the council for a delay in awarding grants funded by the Environment Levy, and said projects were being pushed back by up ...

Why have these grants been held up? Other community grants, which had a later submission date, were announced in November. One group received a response advising the assessment process has recommenced with a view to it going to the next council workshop then to the council meeting on February24, at the earliest. This means work on projects cannot commence until at least March, putting timelines behind schedule five months. Our view is that once invited, grants should not be held up due to a review of council procedures. In some cases, this is impacting on economic opportunities for the reg...