After two years of effort by our community, to prevent the property from being sold to a developer, the property will revert to being used as a school and occupied by the Warwick Christian College. How exciting that is for them and for us!
This historic, iconic, beautiful site will continue to live on into the foreseeable future – what a victory for the residents of the Southern Downs!
The efforts of all those involved with stage one, “The Save Our Slade” campaign, should be acknowledged. The petition signed by more than 2500 residents was presented to Parliament, followed by a deputation to the Director-General of Education, led by Local Member Lawrence Springborg and the Mayor. These occasions resulted in a lost opportunity for the Government – again – to secure the site as a Middle School for our High School students. The concerted efforts of a former High School Principal to acquire the Slade Campus more than 12 years ago were unsuccessful on that occasion, too.
So stage two, “Slade Lives Again” evolved, in an effort to retain the site, for use by the community – in line with the goals of the recently released Council Community Plan.
The support of our community has been phenomenal – their attendance at community meetings, together with their ability to raise $30,000 in a little over three weeks to enable our business plan to be lodged (and their participation in the formulation of that plan), their sheer hard work to support Open Days at Slade, together with their support of the Shopping Centre Display (manned for a week) demonstrates what a special sense of community we have, in this region.
How much the Councillors and Council Officers have missed, through not consulting with our community in its expression of love and ownership of the Slade Campus, given to the Warwick community for a school in 1926!
It has been a real privilege to work towards retaining Slade, for future generations to enjoy. Without the support of my husband Neil, together with the good humoured, wise leadership of Ian Perkins and the counsel of the Slade Lives Again Committee, none of this would have been possible.
And now the site will return to its original planned use – as a school. We congratulate the Warwick Christian College on its foresight and vision, and hope that all the school’s plans come to fruition. Warwick’s parents and students now have another choice available to them, and community groups are looking forward to further negotiations with the school, to see how some of their needs may be met.
Truly SLADE LIVES AGAIN!!!
Margaret McKinnon
