A place to call home, a place to feel at home
Sometimes known as the “Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef”, the city was grown out of four previous regional councils in the area, and as such is a relatively new animal in the Australia geography. Amalgamation and providing consistent services has been one of the major concerns and policy areas that Mayor Lorraine Pyefinch has been focusing on. With the coming of the recent floods, they have also been presented with a new challenge to their economy and life blood for the region, but have developed solid plans to get the ports, harbours, businesses back on track. They have just completed the 2031 initiative which fulfils the requirement placed on Bundaberg by the Queensland Government. “It is a 20 year plan that is a statutory requirement of the local governments’ in Queensland.? We basically have to make a long term community plan, and after consultation with the local community, it sets out where the community hopes to be in the next 20 years,” says Mayor Pyefinch. Once the plan is established, says the Mayor, they can apply it to the planned sessions of the annual budgets.
Over the year they celebrate regional festivals and events in music, culture, and avionics, and can also boasting some of the best athletic facilities in any Australian region.? The city itself has enjoyed a reputation abroad as a great destination for backpackers and rum enthusiasts the world over, but it also has a booming aviation and high-tech industries contained in the region. With moderate climes, rich soil, it is a one of the jewels in the crown of the Fraser Coast. Access to “Bundy”, as it is commonly called, has recently been made easier with the completion of their extension on their Bundaberg Airport. The incorporated area of the Bundaberg Council covers about 65 000 square kilometres, and has a population of approximately 95 000. This means that they have a very diverse but dispersed population.
“We are seen as a very desirable lifestyle destination, with people choosing to live here because of its relaxed lifestyle and pristine landscapes,” she says, also pointing out that the cost of living in the area is far lower than people expect. Buying your first home in Bundaberg is an economical and smart choice, says the Mayor. “For young families looking to get their foot in the door from a real-estate point of view, it’s very desirable,” she says. “We are also seen as place of choice for those who are retiring, again for a number of the same reasons.” With the population as dispersed as it is, potential citizens are faced with a large amount of choice in this area.
Dealing with the floods
“We expect a significant amount of work to be done in the near future throughout Queensland from an infrastructure point of view. There has been quiet catastrophic damage experienced across the region,” she says. This damage will continue to pose challenges to both local governments and business in the area. In the areas of skilled workers and materials, she sees this as a particular challenge because of the decreasing availability of both resources, and the related elevated costs.? “We experienced two separate flooding events, the first was on December 28th, and was a major flooding event. It was actually the highest flood we have had in over 40 years,” says the Mayor. Two weeks later they suffered a second less major flood in the area, but it interrupted the work flow of the recovery efforts already in place. The flood affected areas that were known to be in a danger zone for floods. Still over 200 homes and 180 businesses were damaged during the rising water. “It has certainly been a big challenge for us, but I am pleased to say that as the first real test of our Disaster Management Plan as a new council which proved to be a very robust plan that held up very well and met the challenge,” says Mayor Pyefinch.
Getting to work, and making it home
For industry, their port is one of the busiest on the coast, a point that was made abundantly clear when the floods struck the area earlier this year, causing damage to the harbour infrastructure. The port itself is one of the busiest in Australia. “This isn’t widely known, but the Bundaberg if the largest clearing port for customs on the Eastern Seaboard in regards to recreational vessels. We are talking about yachts that are coming in from New Zealand and the Pacific – these are often vessels that are outfitted for around the world type travelling. It’s easy to navigate this area and there is little danger that they will encounter the Great Barrier Reef because we are just on the southern tip of it.”?? The Mayor describes that some of the damage suffered from the floods was located at this port. “Everyone is working feverishly to get it repaired. It is something that we have always been proud of and we will re-establish it as quickly as possible.”
One of the things the area is known for is their sugar cane, and as the Mayor puts it “the obvious dark brown by-product called Bundaberg Rum.” The distiller is located in Bundaberg and also contributes to the community by sponsoring cultural and sporting initiatives, in an unofficial capacity they also provide a good portion of humour to the country, as can been seen in their ads.? 75 per cent of the country’s sweet potato crop is also grown in the area, and they are also a major exporter of peanuts. With great athletics clubs and facilities they have also gained a reputation for producing some of the best athletes in rowing and cycling.
“We have a very strong agricultural industry, but we also have a very diverse economy. We held up very well during the GFC because we have everything here from software development and very industrial machinery right through to medical services.”
Among other lifestyle attractions for families is the ready availability of high quality schools, serving education at all levels.? “We’ve got great schools, tertiary education, and the university here. There are also lots of sports for kids to enjoy. Again, for people looking to invest in their own homes, paying off a mortgage quickly can be done by going out to the mining activity surrounding the area,” says the Mayor.
She also states that there are plenty of opportunities for businesses who want to play a role in supporting the mining industry, especially in the case of businesses focused on supplying heavy machinery.
One of the industries in the area holds real personal meaning for the Mayor, she actually started out her career in software design. “When I mention software I have to declare a special interest!” She laughs. “It’s funny because two of the most used medical software programs where both developed by my husband,” they have since sold their first business, but she thinks that even this example shows how forward thinking those involved in the economy in Bundaberg are. “When you go to the doctor, you have an 80 per cent chance that when they get their script, the program that produced it was written out of Bundaberg.”
Reasons for a visit, reasons to stay
“We are known as a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef,” says the Mayor. “Just off the coast of Bundaberg are two coral caves that mark the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. These are Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave Islands.” Visitors and residents can access these islands by boat or by air. Mayor Pyefinch thinks that visitors to the area should specifically note that they are both “eco-friendly destinations, with their own solar power, and are very low impact from a suitability point of view.” Because of their remoteness, the number of tourists in the area is low, and allows visitors to see coral in its natural state.? Many of Bundaberg’s beaches are very undeveloped and are close to fringing reef. This means that without expensive day-trips people have access to coral right off the beaches , “There is no need for complicated trips out to islands, you can just wander down with a snorkel and flippers in hand and see coral right there and then,” says Mayor Pyefinch.?? Bundaberg is also one of the largest areas for nesting Sea-Turtles on the Eastern Seaboard. From October through until March the mothers come in and lay their eggs,” she says. They do this a few times, and they have volunteers and conservation officers on hand to manage and ensure that the hatching process is uninterrupted. “Visitors who want to go down and look at what happens can do so in a managed and sustainable way,” says Mayor Pyefinch.
“One of the biggest events of this year is going to be the Wide Bay International Air Show,” says the Mayor.? It is known as the widest general aviation show in Australia, and runs over three days from the 19th to the 21st of August. Matt Hall, known as Australia’s Top Gun, will be preforming at the show.
Local art and culture events including jazz performances and festivals occur throughout the year, making Bundy- not just a place to visit for a short while- but one to keep coming back to.
