Mayoral and councillor candidate Adam Roberts believes that by selling the community’s 500 acres of land holdings in Thrumster we will clear the debt owed on the Glasshouse.
“My message is pretty clear, we should sell the land holdings, clear the Glasshouse debt and turn the financial situation around with one precise and calculated transaction,” Mr Roberts said.
‘By selling the land conservatively estimated to be worth $35 million, we’d be realising a massive financial windfall for the whole community.
“The council paid less than $4 million some years ago and even in today’s flat market we’d be making a massive profit.
“We simply need the money and must realise the asset value now, to address the negative financial situation the last council left us in.
‘With the proceeds, we would be paying off the debt on the Glasshouse and therefore reducing the annual running costs.
“These cost savings would allow us to put more money into our failing roads network and enhancing our parks, gardens and foreshores. As a by-product of selling the land to a ‘shovel ready’ developer, we’d be stimulating the local building and construction industry, creating much needed jobs and helping many small businesses across the region with the increased economic activity.
“If we don’t sell the land, the community will continue to pay more, for less.
“We’ll continue to pay high interest on a huge loan attached to the Glasshouse and our region will continue to visually slide through lack of maintenance funds. Our vehicles will continue to lose tyres to the increasing number of potholes and we’ll struggle to get on top of the finances any time soon.”
