By DANE LILLINGSTONE
RESIDENTS in Allora located near GrainX have continuously worried what the organisation’s operations would do to their house values and recent property reports reveal conflicting results.
House pricing data obtained from realestate.com.au reveals that the median house price in Allora peaked at $283,000 in 2011 before dropping to $200,000 in 2012 and increasing to$249,000 by the end of 2014.
Warwick’s median property price sat at $239,250 in 2011 and jumped to $260,000 by the end of the 2014.
However, Allora-based Mayne Real Estate agent Bevan Vanderwolf said the sample size was too small to be accurate.
“For median house prices in a market like Allora, it only takes two higher priced ones to sell one year to fluctuate the median,” he said.
“House prices are down in Warwick, down in Toowoomba, down everywhere, it’s hard to attribute it to one particular point.”
Data provided by Mayne Real Estate reveals that Allora has gone from a house average of $225,000 at the end of 2011 to $265,000 by September this year. During the same period, Warwick actually dropped from $257,000 to $240,000.
Sandy Manson lives directly across from GrainX on Herbert Street and has had her property on the market for seven months and has received little interest.
“I’ve had enough,” she said.
“They won’t tell us what’s in the chemicals. The truck drivers wear dust masks. They make noise all night and the trucks block our roads.”
These are common complains you will find talking to residents of Herbert Street and its surrounds.
Despite setting up a consultative committee with GrainX, local residents near the site said there was still a lack of communication of what was happening.
Council CEO David Keenan said that high production had meant a high level of activity at the site this season.
“We’re working terribly hard to make sure that the issues with GrainX are dealt with,” he said.
“We also acknowledge this has been an exceptional year in relation to grain production in southeast Queensland, it’s huge, it’s the biggest year they’ve ever had.
“The other thing we have to keep in mind at the moment is unemployment, and GrainX at the moment is supplying a lot of jobs and it’s important for Allora in relation to employment there, but also right across the agriculture sector as well.
“I think wherever you’re living, you need to look around and see what the surrounds are and imagine what it’s going to be like when things are in full operation. It’s the same as people living in close proximity to abattoirs or main roads, there’s going to be noise or there’s going to be a smell.”
The consultative committee on GrainX will continue to meet every two months.
