Smoking Gun (Adam Cartwright Trilogy Book 1) by Dennis Debney Page A

requested to be paid to agencies whose connection to the Council was tenuous to say the least.
    My first confrontation with Mareeba Shire Council had followed my rejection of their claim for a road maintenance levy to be paid by all heavy vehicles hauling equipment to the mine site. Unfortunately the first claim had been paid by the site accountant unaware that the roads used by our trucks were State Highways which were not maintained by the Mareeba Shire Council. When I had become aware of the issue I had denied their unfounded claim and had requested repayment of the amount already paid. My actions had not endeared me to the Council’s representatives. Our ongoing relationship was permanently soured.
    I smiled, thinking back to when I had told Brian Clements that the Council officers considered me to be arrogant and that I considered them to be either incompetent or dishonest. Brian had quipped that we were probably both right.
    The Council also had an interest in a local gravel and concrete aggregate supplier that had expected to supply tens of thousands of tonnes of concrete aggregate during construction of the mine facilities. I had considered their price to be too high and had brought in a mobile crushing and screening plant to quarry our own aggregate from the local limestone outcrops. The Council had tried to block us but eventually had to back down when I was able to show that the mine development approval granted by the Queensland Government specifically permitted us to do so.
    The continual conflict with the Mareeba Council did sometimes distract me from more important issues on occasions but I had already saved more than $300,000 by not giving in to the Council’s invalid claims. I did not intend to start doing so now.
    But first I would do a little checking. Clicking the mouse to reactivate my desktop computer I did a Google search for “local government devolvement queensland environmental regulations”. Top of the responses was a pdf document entitled; ‘Environmentally Relevant Activities Devolved to Local Government’.
    In less than a minute I had what I was looking for. Page one of the pdf presented a table listing all the Local Government Areas in Queensland that did not have environmental responsibilities devolved to them. In the middle of the table, among the eighteen Regional Councils and Shire Councils listed, was the Mareeba Shire Council.  It was clear. Messrs Wilson and Watson were trying to bat in the wrong league.
    I decided that I would deal with Wilson and Watson and hopefully get them out of my hair for good.
    ***
    Leaving my office I drove in my 4WD to the work site looking for Tony Payne. As expected, he was working on the concrete foundations and retaining walls for the Mill Building. Seeing me drive up and get out of my vehicle he raised a hand in greeting and walked over to where I was standing. After exchanging friendly greetings and briefly discussing the work in hand I got around to the point of my being there. “Tony, a few weeks ago you told me about two of your workers having a run-in with two Mareeba Shire building inspectors…”
    Tony Payne nodded and spoke before I had finished speaking. I took no offence from his interruption as I was aware that I often gave rather long-winded preambles prior to asking a question. “Sure. Tom Beatty and Bob Thomas. Both have homes in Mareeba. Do you want to see them?”
    “Yes, I’d like to talk to them. Would you bring them across to my office as soon as you can spare them for fifteen minutes or so.”
    “Sure. They’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
    “Excellent. Thanks. Come with them if you can make yourself free.”
    “No problem.”
    ***
    Ten minutes later the three of them walked into my office. Standing to greet them I motioned for them to be seated. “Tom, Bob. Two inspectors from the Mareeba Council waiting to see me. When I heard their names I recalled Tony telling me about your experiences with a couple of corrupt