By Lucy Waldron
The future of the Leslie Dam Active Recreation Centre is again being questioned, as the new Southern Downs Regional Council called for the sale of the centre to be paused.
The centre ceased operations in 2020 after YMCA Brisbane surrendered its lease.
Southern Downs MP James Lister raised concerns last year about the facility’s closure, prompting inquiries into its future.
In response, the Department of Tourism, innovation and Sport (DTS) said the lessee surrendered the lease due to factors including poor utilisation, environmental impacts and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following unsuccessful attempts to lease the site, compounded by the decommissioning of the nearby water treatment plant in 2022, the centre remained dormant.
Four years on, a Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport spokesperson said the future of the centre has been carefully considered and the preparation for the sale of the site is now underway.
However, with the new council assuming office, there is a renewed call to reassess the previous council’s stance on the facility’s utilisation.
At a recent ordinary council meeting, Councilor Joel Richters proposed a motion for the CEO Dave Burges to write to pause the sale, allowing time for thorough consideration of all options for the location.
Providing an update on the motion, Mr Burges said he and the mayor had already met with the DTS and had been informed that the sale is on hold.
“This motion is in effect,” Mr Burges said.
Despite this, councilor Ross Bartley further sought a procedural motion to lay Cr Richters’ motion on the table until a comprehensive report on the facility’s condition is presented to the council.
Councillors Russell Wantling, Cynthia McDonald, Morwenna Harslett, Sarah Deane, Sheryl Windle and Carla Pidgeon voted for Cr Bartley’s procedural motion while Cr Richters and Mayor Hamilton voted against it.
In a statement to the media, Mayor Melissa Hamilton said council has enquired of the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport whether the sale of Camp Leslie could be paused while council further considered this matter, and the department had confirmed that this had occurred.
“We are at the early stages of determining whether this matter should go before council in a future meeting,” she said.
“If council were to progress with a report, then a full business case will need to be prepared in relation to any proposed use, both short term and long term, and which details the potential benefits and costs to council.”
Councillors will undertake site visits to assess the facility first-hand and receive extensive reports before reaching a decision.
“I am pleased to see that under the new portfolio system, Cr Richters will have responsibility for this going forward, in terms of leading the review from a housing perspective,” Mayor Hamilton said in the ordinary meeting.
“I would like to commend Cr Richters for his advocacy on behalf of the families in our community who are unable to find suitable housing which is why he put the notice of motion before this meeting and I am sure councillor Richters will do his best for those in our community affected by the lack of available housing.”
The clock has stopped ticking but the future of the Leslie Dam Active Recreation Centre is still up in the air.
Only time will tell what lies ahead for the centre.
