PRESS RELEASE 25th Feb 2025
LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER REQUESTED TO INTERVENE RE: TABLELANDS REGIONAL COUNCIL.
On the 14thSept 2024, a 77 page complaint was sent to the Crime and Corruption Commission concerning Tablelands Regional Council.
The contents of the complaint contain serious allegations of council misconduct, pertaining to the Patrick English Pavilion, a historically significant building in Malanda.
Allegations raised include (but are not limited to):
· Recklessly endangering the public by failing to disclose a 2023 engineering report that warned of multiple potential risks to public safety, and [correctly] predicted the structural failure of the building within 12 months.
· Making the false claim in 2024 ‘That council had no prior knowledge of any risk to public safety posed by the Pavilion.’
· Willfully misleading the public in a sustained manner -providing false, omitted and misleading information.
· Failing to properly consult the community & orchestrating a sham survey.
· Withholding critical information from councillors including:
1. The 2023 engineering report outlining risks to public safety.
2. Omitting from a 2020 report that required a councillor vote, that a Local Heritage Overlay prevented the demolition of the Pavilion. (The Heritage Overlay prevented the demolition unless an independent engineering report found the building could not ‘reasonably be made capable of being made structurally sound’.)
· Right to Information revealing none of the structural repair work identified in any of the successive engineering reports had ever been carried out. Despite the claim repeated on multiple occasions that the building has been maintained to ‘keep it safe.’
· Failing to commission independent engineering inspections on a regular basis as required, despite engineers in 2015 and 2018 making clear that follow up reports were necessary. No further external inspections were undertaken until 2023.
· Right to Information revealing no quotation had ever been sought to undertake the work required. Why? Evidently the intention was to neglect the building to the point the trigger in the heritage overlay would be reached. When the 2023 report did not provide the desired opinion the decision was made to let the building rot for a further 12 months and await the predicted structural failure, triggering the demolition provision.
· Failure to declare conflicts of interest, including:
At the 25th Sept 2024 ordinary council meeting, the then CEO authored the final report on the Pavilion to council. The former CEO failed to disclose any potential conflict of interest despite the fact that formal complaints had been made directly relating to his own conduct, and that of council more broadly over this issue. Two formal complaints had been submitted to council, along with referrals to external investigative bodies. Two weeks later the CEO resigned.
On 19th Dec 2024 the Crime and Corruption Commission advised they were instructing Tablelands Regional Council to investigate the complaint.
On 29th Jan 2025 I sent a confidential letter to the new CEO relating to this decision.
TRC responded by saying the new CEO did not start in the role until 17thFeb and the letter would be provided to her upon commencement. To date no further response has been received.
On the 12th Feb an application for a demolition permit of the Pavilion was tendered by TRC. As this is code assessable, this will be delegated to council officers.
This is yet another attempt to circumvent proper due process, and demolish the building before investigations into council conduct are undertaken.
It is my belief that the decision made at the Sept 2024 council meeting to demolish the building may be legally void, given the process to reach that point was in sustained breach of the Local Government Act. The report was authored by the former CEO – who failed to declare any potential conflict of interest, despite being fully aware formal complaints had been lodged, directly relating to serious misconduct over the Pavilion.
Subsequently, additional serious matters have been raised by community members including:
· The failure of councillors to properly disclose business interests.
· Actions taken by council that allegedly favour private business interests over ratepayers.
It is clear that an external audit of Tablelands Regional Council is required, and I call upon the Minister for Local Government to urgently intervene in relation to this matter.
Matt Lachlan
Save the Patrick English Pavilion
PO BOX 874
Malanda QLD 4885
The history of the Malanda Pavilion /Igloo dates back to WW2. It was built in 1943 as a theatre for the Kiari-Dimbula army camp. The camp was used as a training & rehabilitation facility for troops post fighting the Japanese in PNG. It was purchased by the Malanda show Committee and moved to its current location at the Malanda showgrounds in 1946/47. It was unanimously decided to re-name the building "The Patrick English Pavilion" in honour of the secretary of the show society to whom much of the societies success was attributed. (Source: 'Malanda Notes' The Cairn's Post 1948)
Patrick English (white shirt) photo taken circa 1946/47.
The Patrick English Pavilion is one of only three surviving igloos of its type in QLD. It is the iconic landmark in Malanda. Combined with the showgrounds and Malanda Falls, The Patrick English Pavilion helps defines the identity - what sets Malanda apart - from all other towns.
The Patrick English Pavilion is a much-loved building, rich in history, that is an important part of the social tapestry of Malanda to a lot of people. It is also an integral part of the Malanda Show. Over the last 77 years it has hosted countless dances, balls, weddings, special events, ceremonies, cabarets, speech nights, meetings and other special events. The Malanda show would simply not be the Malanda Show without this much loved building. The wonderful displays which are a show highlight including the children's Lego building displays, showcases of kindy & school activities, agricultural, art and craft, flower, plant and photographic displays - the list goes on and on.
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