It’s a battle between education and community interests as both groups interested in the purchase of Slade Campus will be invited to submit a tender for the site.
The Southern Downs Regional Council decided to invite both Christian Community Ministries, who runs Warwick Christian College, and the Slade Lives Again – Development for Everyone (SLADE) group to submit a tender for Slade Campus after they each made a presentation to the council at a special meeting on Monday.
Mayor Ron Bellingham said the tenders would have a closing date of September 1.
“Both presentations were very good. It’s going to be a very difficult decision for the council to make,” Cr Bellingham said.
Christian Community Ministries’ chief executive officer John Lyndon said Slade Campus would allow the Warwick Christian College to grow more rapidly.
Mr Lyndon said the school had already grown from seven students when it first opened four years ago to the current enrolment of 51.
“Our budget projections for the next 10 years show over 400 enrolments,” he said.
“At the moment, we’re only accredited to offer primary school. That growth is based on us going into secondary education,” Mr Lyndon said.
“Education infrastructure is expensive. Slade was built as a school and we would like it to remain as a school.”
He said parents at the school were excited by this opportunity.
Yet, the SLADE group wants the facility to continue as a place for community groups to meet as well as expand on its community potential.
This could include a dementia respite centre and a civic centre.
President Ian Perkins said the group hoped to receive grant money and community donations to commission a feasibility study, which would take about four months to complete and cost up to $50,000.
Mr Perkins said up to 100 people have paid $10 to become a financial member of SLADE and between $30,000 and $40,000 has already been pledged to support the proposal.
“Some of those pledges are from Stanthorpe,” he said.
SLADE will hold a public meeting 5pm this Sunday at Slade Hall for all interested residents.
Story: Rebecca Brown
