SNEAKY PCYC EXIT ANGERS COMMUNITY
THE gates to the beleaguered Castle Hill PCYC are now shut and the last man standing has been kicked out.
But management continues to avoid discussing its future.
The Townsville community club has been under a cloud since late 2018, when it was proposed PCYC Queensland would shut the Castle Hill branch and open one in the northern suburbs.
But yesterday the State Government and Townsville City Council confirmed the Hugh St facility had finally closed.
However, PCYC management would not confirm that was the case and instead continued to say it was “in discussions” with the council.
It is a statement the organisation has repeated for 16 months.
The most recent PCYC Queensland annual report shows statewide the not-for-profit organisation racked up a $7.48 million loss last financial year and the number of programs it runs statewide across more than 50 clubs had fallen by 80 per cent.
Chief executive Phil Schultz denied that PCYC Queensland was in financial strife, saying it had a $7.48 million loss but a net asset position of $16.86 million, with “continued profitable trading performance” and debt of $161,000.
A majority of Castle Hill PCYC’S programs had to be relocated to the two other branches in town after the ageing building was battered in the 2019 floods, with only the pool remaining available, until last week.
The facility appeared to be vacant yesterday, and the pool was still full despite apparently needing maintenance. Mr Schultz has claimed for months that negotiations over its Castle Hill site were ongoing with Townsville City Council, which leases the land to them as the State Government’s middle man.
That lease was up in 2018. Mr Schultz would not confirm how many jobs were at risk as a result of the Castle Hill PCYC’S dormancy, but did say affected team members would be redeployed “where possible”.
Swimming instructor Chris Hanson, who up until last week coached dozens of children at the PCYC pool, said he was unexpectedly pulled aside and told he had to move his school and students elsewhere.
“I can’t see them reopening that community centre at all,” he said.
“I’ve been ripped off … they’ve (PCYC) known information but they haven’t been allowed to say it.”
Communities Minister and Mundingburra MP Coralee O’RO-urke in a statement confirmed she was aware of “PCYC’S exit from Castle Hill” and was in discussions with stakeholders.
A Townsville City Council spokesman said it was speaking with PCYC Queensland and the State Government about the future of site.