General News
27 May, 2026
Amaroo park funding fees refused again
ANOTHER bid by developers behind the Amaroo Estate to channel infrastructure charges into community park upgrades has been rejected by Mareeba Shire Council.
In a negotiated decision notice to council last week, BTM & Stankovich Pty Ltd requested a portion of their infrastructure charges for last year’s approved Stage 16 development of 25 lots be used to finish the Mareeba East Destination Park.
In a report to council, a letter from the developers said they had advocated for the park for more than 15 years, and only now had stage 1 been completed by council using government grants.
“To date we have contributed over
$5 million in infrastructure charges of which approximately $1.5 million has been specifically allocated to Parks and Open Spaces,” the report stated.
“These contributions alone should be sufficient to complete the Mareeba East Destination Park, without considering the additional funds that will be paid as approved future stages are developed.”
The advice to council was that developers could not dictate how infrastructure charges were spent, and those charges are governed by the Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP).
In refusing the request, a council officer told the meeting that the infrastructure charges would still be payable.
“It goes into overall bucket, and council determines where that money is spent, rather than having it allocated specifically to the one project.”
The refusal mirrors a request made by the developers in its development application for two more stages of development, which included a public park, in September.
That submission had proposed the $148,262 for the parks and open space component of the infrastructure charges be used to create an adventure-style “Ninja Warrior” agility park.
Council approved the Amaroo Estate developments, but rejected the playground proposal on the grounds that it would be inconsistent with the way it collects and uses infrastructure charges from other developers; the park was not listed as “trunk infrastructure” so it would be unlawful to develop the park in lieu of providing the infrastructure funds to council; and maintaining the park “would place additional, unplanned maintenance costs on council’s expenditure budget”.
That same development returned to council last week, with a Negotiated Decision Notice request that the $148,262 go directly towards completing the Mareeba East Destination Park.
It was, like the Stage 16 request before it, refused. Instead, council offered a compromise which would allow the developers to sell the block allocated for parkland as a residential block and provide 75% of the sale funds to council as a dedicated contribution to the Mareeba East Destination Park.
Council heard that this would benefit the developers, as the money could legally be allocated to Mareeba East Destination Park – which improved amenity for the whole estate, the council would not have to maintain a vacant block of land in the middle of Amaroo.
