Gympie indoor stadium would add 1-2% more to rates bill

When it comes to the question of why the Gympie Regional Council won’t build a new indoor sporting facility, Mayor Glen Hartwig says it’s a case of how much higher ratepayers want their rates to go.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig says an indoor stadium desired by the community was lower down the priority list for the council than the Rattler.

Borrowing to build a much-desired indoor sports stadium in Gympie could be an option for the future, o Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said, provided ratepayers were willing to bear another 1 or 2 per cent rise in rates.

The question of when Gympie might get a new stadium reared its head this week amid uproar over the council’s decision to double the court hiring fees at the Pavilion to $55.

The choice not only sparked outrage among sports groups but also rekindled calls for a new stadium, considered by the council in a 2019 feasibility study, with a $13.5 million price tag.

The report came at a time when the council’s operations ran at an $11 million loss.

Mr Hartwig said unfortunately the latter detail now impacted the former.

“This council is in financial repair and at the earliest possible opportunity we would love to address the desperate need for an indoor sports stadium,” he said.

And the reality was, he said, past councils had a financial priority list and the stadium was not at the top.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig says borrowing to build an indoor sport stadium was possible, but the loan would not cover the cost of repayment or the long-term cost of maintaining the building.

“We would love to have a new indoor facility yesterday, but we’ve got a train instead,” he said.

The train in question is the Mary Valley Rattler, which was resurrected amid controversy after its originally projected $10.8 million budget ballooned to an official $17.5 million – a figure which did not include ongoing support from the council in excess of $1 million and counting.

Mr Hartwig, who has maintained the real cost has always been much higher than the official figure, said the council could have easily built the desired stadium, and had change left over.

“The $25 million plus that was spent on the train would have adequately built a brand new indoor stadium,” he said.

“(However) the priority of that council was to put it towards a train.”

A new stadium to allow sports like basketball to expand was originally considered in 2019, and had a $13.5 million price tag.

A trip to the bank for help was not off the cards, but he said ratepayers needed to remember they would still be footing the bill.

“Borrowing is always an option but loans need to be repaid and there’s an interest component to that. Providing ratepayers are comfortable with an extra 1-2 per cent rate rise to cover the cost of that, council can definitely do that.

“But once again those decisions need to be made when the organisation is financially far more stable than it is right now.”

The ongoing maintenance cost wouldn’t be covered by the loan, either.

It would come from either ratepayers, or the people who used the stadium.

The cost to bring the Rattle back to life would have easily covered the construction of a new stadium, Mr Hartwig says. Picture: Supplied

“The current costs for court hire do not incorporate any maintenance on the buildings they use,” Mr Hartwig said.

“That is subsidised by the ratepayer, just like other sporting clubs and ventures around the region have a component that is subsidised by the ratepayer.

“The court hire costs simply cover the necessary costs for staff.”

It is a position which puts no clean date on when squeezed sports like basketball and netball can expect relief.

And it is made worse by the fact signing off on any future stadium will not make it ready to use the day after.

“From when you turn soil to when you open the doors you would expect it to be a 12 month build on something as significant as that,” Mr Hartwig said.

But he rejected the notion the council was sitting on its hands in the meantime.

“We are not sitting idle and not planning for the future while we are doing the repair; we are doing everything we can to get our ducks in a row so as soon as we are financially able we can provide these facilities for the residents.”