Milne Bay Aquatic Centre funding bungle ...

The Agenda for the Toowoomba City Council Committee Meetings on 21 and 22 August 2007 is just full of fun reading.

Here's an example.

Agenda Item No. 19 - The Oops Factor.

Toowoomba City Council gets it wrong on its funding application for Federal government funding for Milne Bay Aquatic Centre - Water Reclamation Project Community Water Grants Application.

Community Water Grants - Round 2 (applications closed 25 August 2006)

An application for a project estimated to cost $142,920.40 seeking $49,920.40 funding was lodged.

Water and Sewerage Program (WASP) - Reduction of Water Loss/ Consumption

An application for a project estimated to cost $190,000 seeking $76,000 subsidy (40%) was lodged under cover of a letter dated 11 September 2006.

The program Guidelines state: "We will not fund anything you have paid for outside the 12 month project period (as defined by us), that is, before the funding agreement has been accepted by us or after the project has been completed."

Pretty clear.

The project Funding Agreement was signed by Council on 11 December 2006 and signed by the Department of the Environment and Heritage on 16 January 2007. The Funding Agreement states that the project period is 12 months from the start of the Agreement, this being the date the Agreement was signed by the Department of the Environment and Heritage.

Funding application was submitted after the project commenced. Doesn't fit funding guidelines. Funding refused.

Decision on Water and Sewerage Program (WASP) - Reduction of Water Loss/Consumption application is pending but expect the same result.

Oops.

Someone in the Council stuffed up.

Didn't read the Guidelines.

And this is the same Council which wants to submit a further funding application for its failed Water Futures recycled water plant (see - Time to recycle Water Futures).

If it wasn't such a waste of time and money and forgone subsidies, it would be comical.

Bring on the March 2008 election ...