$6200 water bill concerns

Majestic Theatre Pomona board members Anne Coombes and Roy Harbour are shocked at the Unitywater bill issued for the Pomona landmark.

Geoff Pottern

A $6200 Unitywater bill for the year without ongoing council subsidy support could bring down the final curtain on Pomona’s historic Majestic Theatre.

But the Pomona Progress and Art Tourism Inc, which runs this and other community assets, unlike their silent movies that are a major tourist drawcard, will refuse to go quietly.

Pomona Inc secretary Roy Harbour and his committee fear the welcome $1 million Sunshine Coast council community subsidy may not go far enough.

Indications are that Unitywater, a company created to oversee water and sewerage service deliveries, will hit the operators of the Pomona Markets and Old Railway Art Gallery and Information Centre, with a six-fold increase over 12 months.

“Total cost to Pomona Inc for the current six months would rise to $3130.60, up from a subsidised and discounted $503.50 in the last six months of council-administered water and sewerage services,” Mr Harbour said. “The arrival of the Unitywater account last week suggested we are facing an annual total of more than $6200 – and for this not-for-profit organisation, run by a handful of volunteers, that could well be the final nail in the coffin.”

Mr Harbour said they would have to sell an awful lot of admission tickets to the Majestic to keep the doors of the much-loved theatre and community hub open.

He has written to council seeking some form of ongoing support for groups like his and has also questioned how far the initial $1 million grants will stretch across the Coast.

“Pomona Inc would like to be assured that any subsidy replacing the former council community rebate system should not be a one-off,” Mr Harbour said. Mr Harbour said there was “a very real concern” about the predicted escalation of charges for water and sewerage “over the next few years”.

“We look forward to hearing that the Sunshine Coast Regional Council will establish a continuing program of subsidy.”

A council spokeswoman could not give that assurance this week, saying that would be considered in the next budget.