Vital discussions took place last Friday 8/9/06 with officers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the proposed Queensland Heritage Council  engineering review of the Jimna Fire Tower. Dialogue focused on the “Expected Outcome” of this review which was successfully identified as being to redevelop the Jimna Fire Tower and Site as a “Tourist Attraction”.

The Jimna Fire Tower Action Group (JFTAG) submitted draft plans and reports which were collated over past consultations with builders and engineers and supported by a full set of the original structural drawings of the tower. The EPA deputation was extremely receptive to JFTAG’S input and were reassuring in their commitment to evaluate every possible option to the demolition of this valuable heritage listed tourist icon. This of course was JFTAG’S original goal which, thankfully, will now become a reality, along with other positive outcomes from the meeting including possible funding opportunity’s, and comparisons with other government controlled heritage listed places which have become excess to requirements and have subsequently been transferred to other bodies including private enterprise.

With a firm agreement to recommend that JFTAG be included in the consultation process with QHC before the new engineering brief or terms of reference are finalised, JFTAG could not have procured a more satisfactory result.

After lunch at Jacks Place, Kilcoy Eatery, the EPA party travelled to Jimna where an on-site inspection of the tower and nearby Peach Trees Camping Grounds culminating with a visit to the Jimna Hall Historical Association’s information centre, left the party in no doubt as to the tourism potential of not only the Jimna Fire Tower but also of the high country within Kilcoy Shire.

JFTAG invites any person or group who may be able to offer some assistance to move this project forward in a positive manner, to feel free to call in at Jacks Place, Mary St., Kilcoy, any Friday between 10am and 12 noon

As momentum for the Jimna Fire Tower and site to be redeveloped into a tourist attraction steadily gathers, the fund raising dinner held last Thursday evening at the Stanley Hotel, Kilcoy, has galvanised a broad section of the Kilcoy shire business community into a united resolve to move this project forward. The management and staff of the Stanley Hotel set the scene for this wonderful night by their meticulous attention to detail with regard to the new B.B.Q deck layout and table decorations which celebrated the anniversary of this first class function venue.

Pre-dinner drinks and mingling provided patrons with the opportunity to meet and welcome guest speakers while also prompting enthusiastic discussion in relation to the future of the Jimna fire tower. From mayor Terry Dredge, who highlighted the importance of the towers tourist dollar value to Kilcoy shire, and Penny Cook who has pledged to seek funding avenues, to our state election candidates Dorothy Pratt and John Bjelke/Petersen’s unerring commitment and Mike Horan’s announcement of total redevelopment coalition funding, the Jimna Fire Tower has won many friends and supporters. Executive director of the Woodford folk festival, Bill Hauritz, provided a fitting finale to a magnificent program by relating the Jimna fire tower to a “symbol”. The tower, Bill emphasised, is a “symbol” which has brought everybody together, it is the “symbol” of united and strong community support for the towers survival, and it will be an everlasting “symbol” of community achievement for the future.

The Jimna Fire Tower Action Group wishes to express extreme gratitude to the guest speakers who gave of their valuable time; to the generous donors of the impromptu raffle prizes; the Stanley Hotel management, Lisa and staff, and last but not least to those who attended and made this function such a successful fund raiser for the Jimna fire tower.