General News
23 October, 2021
Residents campaign to stop “Swamp” block sale
A GROUP of concerned Dimbulah residents have banded together to prevent a block of land in the town from going to auction in the hope of stopping a potential buyer from buying a “swamp”.
A GROUP of concerned Dimbulah residents have banded together to prevent a block of land in the town from going to auction in the hope of stopping a potential buyer from buying a “swamp”.
Residents adjacent to the council owned block in question, some of which have lived in the area for more than 30 years, said that the vacant land becomes a swamp with barely an inch of rain.
They have tabled a petition to Mareeba Shire Council (MSC) to have the block changed from a residential block to prevent anyone from making the mistake of purchasing the land.
There has even been a makeshift drain dug to help filter the water out of the back of the block where many of the other blocks meet at the lowest point.
Wendy Richardson, who has lived in Dimbulah for 26 years near the “swamp”, said that ever since she has been there the block has been the drain run off.
"It’s just a drain run off, all the houses run into this block and sewerage overflows when it rains real bad, it’s just a swamp for eight or nine months of the year,” she said.
“Now it’s going up for auction as a residential block and we don’t think that’s a good thing because where is all the water going to go? Council will have to rectify the back lane.
“One storm and it’s done.”
Not only that but when it does rain heavily residents claim that as the water table rises, it causes the sewerage to leak out and onto the block.
The residents also said that the photo that is featured online for the block’s auction is misleading as it portrays the block as flat and full of green grass.
According to locals there hasn’t been any green grass on the block since the auction sign was installed by the real estate.
Mareeba Shire Council has received the petition and in light of the residents concerns has put the sale on hold while they investigate further. The sale was scheduled for October 22.
