Weekly News Briefs - 3 July 2025

2025-26 Budget adopted

Lockyer Valley Regional Council handed down its 2025-26 Budget and Operational Plan on Tuesday 1 July. To find out what the Budget entails, visit www.lockyervalley.qld.gov.au/budget

FOGO trial to cease

Council will formally bring its Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) waste collection trial to a close next week following a review of the service and feedback from participants.

Weekly red bin collections will recommence in both the Laidley and Gatton trial areas on Monday 7 July, with green-lid FOGO bins to be collected in the following weeks.

Council began the trial in 2021, which saw FOGO bins rolled out to about 1000 households in Laidley and Gatton. As part of the trial, participants’ general waste collection was extended to fortnightly.

Due to the relatively high rates of contamination, which increased the costs to process the organic waste into compost, and residents’ concerns with the fortnightly red bin collection, Council has made the decision to cease the trial and continue to investigate other options for organic waste management.

Council sincerely thanks participants for their efforts, with the trial yielding valuable information and data.

Closure of more public toilets at night

Council will close the public toilets at Littleton Park, Gatton from 9pm nightly following repeated vandal attacks.

We understand it is only a very small minority of the community involved in this criminal behaviour, but it causes significant impacts to the wider community.

If you see any suspicious behaviour or know who is responsible for vandalising or stealing public property, please report it to Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or contact Council on 1300 005 872.

Laidley Memorial Park works

Works are scheduled to commence in mid-July at Laidley Memorial Park to increase the viewing area for commemorative events. The works are being undertaken at the request of the Laidley RSL Sub-branch.

The public is asked to stay clear of the exclusion zones during the works.

Visit the next Council Pop-Up

Come along to the next Council Pop-Up at the Laidley Show this Saturday, 5 July (subject to weather) and enjoy a great opportunity to not only meet Councillors and Council staff, but to also:

• ask questions
• provide feedback on consultation projects
• stay up to date on Council initiatives.

For more information, visit: www.lockyervalley.qld.gov.au/have-your-say.

Upcoming roadworks

Works will soon begin to widen and reconstruct a section of Old Laidley Forest Hill Road.

The project is expected to begin shortly and take eight to 10 weeks to complete, weather permitting.

Crews will work on one lane at a time, leaving one lane operating at all times under temporary traffic lights. Motorists can expect minor delays, and we thank residents in advance for their patience.

This $484,500 project is funded by the Australian Government's Black Spots Program

Landholders urged to register flood debris

Following the impact of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, Council will offer free collection of any remaining bulk flood debris for rural landholders.

This is STRICTLY for FLOOD DAMAGED waste from the flood event, which began on 9 March 2025 and does not include repairs to any form of damage (including fences).

Registrations close this Sunday 6 July. To register for this service, please complete the survey at https://forms.office.com/r/kU6L97VxFX.

If you have previously reached out to Council for this type of service, please fill out the form to ensure you are not missed.

Council will make every effort to provide this service to all eligible applicants, but may be constrained by weather, contractor availability and the tight timeframe associated with the available funding.

Assistance for these services is provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Security Scheme

The Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Security Scheme is not just a project for farms. It will benefit almost every part of the region, helping to drought proof communities, boost the local economy, and create thousands of local, ongoing jobs.

It is crucial the community knows about this project and is aware of its potential benefits for everyone, now and for generations to come. To find out more, head to www.lvandswatercollaborative.com.au