By Jenel Hunt
Councillor Joel Richters is leading the charge to ask the State Government to upgrade the facilities at the Leslie Dam Active Recreation Centre and gift it to the council for use as crisis housing.
In a notice of motion presented at the Southern Downs Regional Council meeting on 19 June, he presented his request that the Mayor write to state ministers to consider transferring ownership to the council, stressing the importance of providing accommodation for families and individuals who critically needed a roof over their heads.
“I’m under no illusion that the state government would probably find themselves at difficulty to support us and I think that’s sad but I think we still can’t leave any stone unturned,” he said.
“At the point of time that we sit in now I think it is best for us to exhaust all possible opportunities to provide relief to people.”
He had put a small poll on his website and said 68 per cent of the respondents were in favour of the idea, he said.
“Whilst this may not ultimately be the end solution, there is a desire among the community to see us do something,” said Cr Richters.
“I am 100 per cent against the council using council rates revenue to provide facilities like this however if that facility was gifted to council and then the state or federal government were able to provide the funds necessary to make it operational I think it is incumbent upon us to at least try.”
Cr Ross Bartley spoke against the motion.
“Firstly I’m worried and concerned that we could be committing our ratepayers if the government were of a mind to donate this to council; that we would be basically placing a noose around the neck of our ratepayers.”
He said the age of the complex would make it a liability rather than an asset.
Cr Bartley said he would prefer council direct its efforts differently and advocate for the state government to buy a block of land and locate 60 modular homes close to public transport and services including medical, police and shopping centres.
“I’m living in hope the state government don’t give it [the recreaction centre] to us because I believe we would be having to deal with probably a huge financial impost into the future.”
Cr Sheryl Windle said the council had accommodated more than 200 people at the centre during the Stanthorpe bushfires in 2019.
“It was a place of refuge for those people and it was very important that we had it there,” she said.
“I think that needs to be mentioned as well, because we don’t have many options for evacuation centres.”
Cr Cynthia McDonald said she was horrified that the facility had been sitting dormant for the past four years ‘and we’ve had people who are homeless’.
Cr Wantling said expecting the state to both transfer ownership and pay for upgrades was highly improbable.
Crs Wantling and Bartley and voted against the motion.
Mayor Melissa Hamilton said the council would simply be asking for information rather than agreeing to any long-term commitment.
