Community & Business
10 May, 2022
Fee Waiver Rejected
A REQUEST by the Mareeba Islamic Society for infrastructure charges worth more than $15,000 to be waived or reduced has been rejected by Mareeba Shire Council.
A REQUEST by the Mareeba Islamic Society for infrastructure charges worth more than $15,000 to be waived or reduced has been rejected by Mareeba Shire Council.
In January, council approved the establishment of a school at the Islamic education centre which involves building a second storey on the existing building on the corner of Walsh and Lloyd Streets. The project has incurred $15,680 in infrastructure charges which the society has described as “quite a hefty charge” given the school will only cater to 35 students.
In a letter to council, society treasurer and Imam Benjamin Murat said that as a not-forprofit organisation which “relies on solely on donations from its members to operate” the charges would equate to an additional 10 per cent on the cost of the project. “The proposed school only envisages having up to 35 and your charge represents $448 per pupil – quite a hefty charge,” he wrote.
“The number of attendants for existing religious classes, pupils and adults amount to approximately 15 to 20. These existing classes are after 3.30pm and in the evenings on 3-4 days per week. “Having a second floor would allow for these existing religious students to have a permanent place for keeping their materials and aides without having to pack them up to allow for other cultural uses of the hall.”
He explained that the school would operate from the building for up to two years until permanent facilities can be put in place. However, council officers recommended against changing the charges which are based on its Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP).
“The subject land is within the Priority Infrastructure Area as identified in the Mareeba Shire Council LGIP,” a report to council stated. “Providing a reduction or waiver of the infrastructure charges for this development would be inequitable to other developers in the shire who have previously paid or are required to pay infrastructure charges once their developments are complete and further, would undermine the ongoing implementation of Council's LGIP.
“The charge applied was based on the gross floor area of the school facility and is not considered an onerous charge for what was proposed.”
Council agreed and rejected the request.
