Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I speak tonight on behalf of a number of Queensland constituents who, in good faith, signed with a developer for house and land packages in the Memerambi historical subdivision about 12 kilometres north of Kingaroy. It falls within South Burnett Regional Council. I recently wrote to the then minister for local government, Dr John McVeigh, on behalf of one constituent caught up in this, Mr Glenn Pearce. Mr Pearce has tried for years to get answers from the South Burnett council about why building approvals were given which were not in accordance with the council's own conditions. The developer, Summit View Meritor Pty Ltd, subsequently went bust, leaving the investors greatly out of pocket and their homes unfinished. Minister McVeigh acknowledged Mr Pearce's frustration, but, as he said, it is not a federal matter and he would need to engage with the relevant people in state and local government to seek those answers.

These constituents have tried all avenues but, despite numerous approaches, they are still seeking answers. An inquiry into the matter by the Queensland Ombudsman exonerated the council of any wrongdoing. This was substantiated after Mr Pearce requested a reassessment. As well, the Planning and Environment Court, in 2013, found no wrongdoing by the council, and representations to the Crime and Corruption Commission resulted in the CCC advising that the matter does not meet the definition of corrupt conduct. In light of this, I would call it sheer incompetence.

This matter has been ongoing since the developer went into liquidation in 2013, leaving Mr Pearce and others with their homes unfinished. I'm told that many homes remain so. In an effort to resolve the problem at the time, the council completed the roads and drainage works itself to allow the dwellings to be completed. The cost was charged to landowners as a special levy. These levies were tens of thousands of dollars. In Mr Pearce's case, this amounted to $37,000 added to his rates. While I acknowledge the council's efforts to sort it out, like Mr Pearce, I feel that surely someone should take some responsibility and do more to fix the problem.

One Nation has been endeavouring to help resolve the problem and seek some satisfaction for Mr Pearce and the others left in the lurch when the developer went into liquidation. The leader of One Nation in Queensland, the then member for Buderim, Mr Steve Dickson, has made numerous approaches to the council and to the Queensland Minister for Local Government but has been unable to broker a solution. While I acknowledge that the council has been exonerated of any corrupt conduct or wrongdoing by the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission, the Queensland Ombudsman and the Planning and Environment Court, I believe that there is a moral if not legal requirement on the council to at least be prepared to discuss a solution. Mr Pearce believes that the council is liable. He states that it granted the approvals to allow construction to commence when this went against its strict 'material change of use' conditions.

The South Burnett Regional Council is adamant that it has done everything it can and now refuses to discuss the matter with Mr Pearce.

Whoever is at fault, the Memerambi estate is, to quote a recent media report, 'like a city that hasn't been completed'. Those caught up in this have been left greatly out of pocket. Mr Pearce has suffered financial, mental and emotional stress. At the end of the day, Mr Pearce and the others bought their land in good faith and have done nothing wrong. Whatever did go wrong with the council's allowing this development to go ahead, someone should be held accountable. The general public is held to account by governments for their actions, and so also should government agencies be. I call on Mrs Deb Frecklington, the local state member and leader of the Queensland opposition, to do the right thing for her constituents. I also call on the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to make council take responsibility, sort this out and stop the heartache being experienced by unsuspecting, innocent Queenslanders who have done no wrong. At Mr Pearce's request, I table background documents.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, you would have to seek leave to table documents.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the documents.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted? Senator Hanson, the feedback I'm getting is that no-one has seen the documents, and it is the usual custom to circulate them to others. Leave has been denied, Senator Hanson.