Clash over sports lease
A LONG history of controversy over the lease agreement between the Stanthorpe Sports Association and Southern Downs Regional Council has again been ignited this week.
The sports organisation’s lease over the McGlew Street Sporting Complex was first due for renewal in October last year, but was extended via an overholding clause to October 31, 2021.
Its current agreement includes annual rent of $3000 and a number of special conditions outside SDRC’s general lease policy, including that the council maintains the grounds, major infrastructure and cricket wickets at its own cost along with rates dispensation.
A report tabled at this week’s SDRC meeting stated the exclusions had cost the council about $400,000 since 2015, but were balanced in part by the SSA’s significant contributions to the facility.
Council officers recommended either renewing the lease under the current special terms, excluding the wicket maintenance, or drafting a new arrangement for either a five or 10-year contract with a varied set of special conditions or waiving them entirely.
It stipulated SDRC would either give the SSA a diminishing payment from $30,000 to $10,000 or otherwise seek new capital if the final agreement saw the exemptions dropped entirely.
It was shaping to be one of the council meeting’s most controversial agenda items until councillor Jo McNally called for a procedural motion to push the decision back to the next meeting, which was unable to be debated under SDRC policy.
The move was voted against by councillors Stephen Tancred and Andrew Gale, with the latter claiming his voice was not being heard and they owed a debate to the community in the name of openness and transparency.
Mayor Vic Pennisi later confirmed the postponement was due to a Facebook post made by the SSA listing the names of councillor candidates they claim promised to support their lease renewal in the leadup to the 2020 election.
He said all councillors had sought legal advice and needed the delay to make an informed and viable decision.
Mr Pennisi said the SSA was initially formed by Stanthorpe Shire Council as a means of obtaining grant money only available to notfor-profits, with the council agreeing to maintain their land so the sports body could raise funds for improving the community facility’s buildings.
Southern Downs councillors also voted to delay a bulk approval on almost 100 lease renewals due to the SSA conflict. Councillors Sheryl Windle and Marco Gliori were absent from the meeting.