Landowner suffers $350,000 rip-off

APRIL 5, 2016: I'VE gone into bat for a Mackay landowner who is owed more than $350,000 in compensation from the State Government’s Transport and Main Roads Department. Charles Ogilvie, who operates Blue River Landscape Supplies adjacent to the Edmund Casey Bridge at Foulden, has run out of options to get a fair deal, after land for the construction of the Edmund Casey Bridge was resumed in 2006.The valuer for Transport and Main Roads (TMR) determined that the value of the land, just on its capacity and not income potential, was $450,000.Mr Ogilvie was finally paid $100,000 about 18 months ago, but TMR has since said they have improved the value of his land and they don’t have to pay him any more money.Though Mr Ogilvie began legal proceedings to achieve a fairer settlement, he can’t afford expenses of up to $1 million for a two-week trial.I lay the blame squarely at the feet of State Labor Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert.Julieanne Gilbert should intervene on behalf of local landholders to ensure they get the compensation they deserve for state government resumption works.Charles Ogilvie’s property has been divided in half, and he’s suffered a substantial reduction in its value.To add insult to injury Mr Ogilvie has now been paid less than a quarter of the sum initially discussed, and this does not take into account his loss of income potential from the land which has been resumed.This does not bode well for other local landholders who stand to have land resumed for the Mackay Ring Road.What has the State Member for Mackay done about this?Has she talked to her state Labor government colleagues about this injustice, or lifted a finger to investigate?In light of this failure to act by Ms Gilbert, I will be writing to the State Minister for Main Roads seeking intervention to provide adequate compensation to Mr Ogilvie.The state government had engaged in legal manoeuvres to make it financially difficult for Mr Ogilvie to successfully contest a compensation case.They can use taxpayer-contributed resources to ensure landholders like Mr Ogilvie don’t get a fair go.Property owners are having to bleed themselves dry in the fight for what they are legitimately owed and I fear we will see more of this if the Member for Mackay does not take some steps to ensure people in this region are being treated fairly.