By STEVE GRAY
QUEENSLAND Rail has no current plans to sell the Warwick railway precinct.
Plans for the largely unused historic property have caused tension between the Southern Downs Regional Council and Warwick Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Councillors have claimed statements from the chamber implied that council was committed to the proposal to take over and rejuvenate the site for the Visitor Information Centre, Warwick’s art gallery and other community uses.
At their December meeting, councillors rebuked the chamber, and CEO Andrew Roach reiterated council’s position in an email to councillors, saying “the mayor and I have made no commitments for council, other than an inspection later this month”.
Council’s careful stance has irked the chamber.
In the email obtained by the Southern Free Times (SFT), Mr Roach said he had “a very heated president from the chamber on the phone a few times today (8 January) about the issue”.
Bruce Partridge is the president of Warwick Chamber of Commerce. He is also general manager of the Warwick Daily News.
Meanwhile, Queensland Rail said it had no intention of selling the land “at this stage”.
“We are working with council to look at alternative uses for the site that balance the commercial, heritage and community needs,” a QR spokesperson told the SFT.
In his email, Mr Roach said the chamber of commerce would continue to investigate the site and councillors should sit back and let them do it.
“The chamber are very supportive of this idea, as well as many community groups,” he said.
“Due to their enthusiasm, we offered to provide meeting space so they could work up a proposal for council to consider later this year.
“I thought it was a great win for us, as we didn’t have the resources to commit to researching the project, so I would still encourage council to sit back and let this group research and submit a proposal.
“Then we can have a more serious discussion,” Mr Roach said.
Treasurer Lewis von Steiglitz said the chamber will continue to do a feasibility study on the future of the railway precinct.
This will include discussions with organisations who might be interested, including arts and craft groups, and people willing to provide technical assessments of the site.
“It needs a broad base of support,” Mr von Steiglitz said. “It must add value and not be a cost to the town.”
