By Jenel Hunt
The Gladfield Driver Reviver site in the Southern Downs region is in its death throes and won’t be resuscitated, but it’s the way the Driver Reviver demise has been handled that has people at the local council hot under the collar.
Gladfield, on the Cunningham Highway, is under permanent closure orders by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. It is one of 23 government-owned sites getting the chop during 2023.
The Southern Downs Regional Council’s Infrastructure Services Department director Gary Murphy was upset about the way the situation had been handled, saying there had never been any engagement with the council about the closure yet the Department of Transport and Main Roads wanted the council to ‘pick up the slack’ and use its visitor information centres as Driver Reviver sites.
“My understanding is that the TMR hasn’t thought it through, asking VICs to provide this,” he said.
“They are not open 24 hours and some do not cater for heavy vehicles.
“I have reached out to the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) to say the process has been terrible. The engagement with Local Government has been abhorrent. We’re being asked by local groups what council is doing. They (TMR) met with the community groups and Driver Reviver and advised them they were going to close, but they didn’t contact us.
“We are not sure of the safety issues at the closed sites. We are unsure if an audit has been done at the Wallangarra site, which is managed by the council and is still open. Who manages the volunteers in the future?“
Councillor Jo McNally said that to move the Gladfield Driver Reviver service to another site would be ‘ridiculous’.
“People can stop in Warwick anyway. It doesn’t make sense to me. And the place at Gladfield will still be there. You just won’t get a free cup and tea and biscuit.”
Cr Cynthia McDonald said 90 bottles of milk alone had been used by Rotary Sunrise during the previous holiday.
“I think it’s a concern and I know there will be a backlash from our community groups,” she said.
The Driver Reviver program is a national initiative that has been supported by the Department of Transport and Main Roads for more than 30 years. Reasons cited for the closures included health and safety assessments, high level of investment, ageing volunteer cohort and a decline in foot traffic.
Gladfield Driver Revivers, when contacted by Warwick and Stanthorpe Today, responded: “Our future is uncertain as no firm decision has been reached.“
They did not expect to be open for the next public holiday.
