Mayor Paul Antonio calls on State Government to support RASQ by changing status of showgrounds, after council gives $150k
Mayor Paul Antonio has lashed the State Government over the future of the Toowoomba Showgrounds, saying it needed to do more to support the Royal Agricultural Society Queensland.
Council
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Cr Paul Antonio’s comments at the State Government come after the Toowoomba Regional Council agreed to give the RASQ $150,000 to ensure the Toowoomba Show could run as normally as possible in 2021.
The unbudgeted funding was passed after RASQ chairman Shane Charles said the society was desperate for financial support after cancelling its event in April due to COVID-19.
When asked about the funding, Cr Antonio turned his anger on the State Government, demanding it change the current agreement attached to the land comprising the Toowoomba Showgrounds.
“The Toowoomba Show is the oldest show in Queensland — it’s 160 years old, they’ve had a terrible time recently,” he said.
“I’ve had many conversations with many ministers about the State Government doing something positive about the showgrounds.
“It’s held in a deed of grant in trust (DOGIT), which is similar to a noose around your neck.
“ (RASQ) are very restricted in what they can do, and (I’ve suggested if they could do something different.
“I thought we’d negotiated a position where that would become freehold land but that hasn’t happened.
“I was fairly sure I had the support of Minister (Anthony) Lynham, to get rid of the DOGIT that is so restrictive, make it freehold and give them the opportunity to do what we could do.”
Cr Antonio said he believed the decision to give the funding was the right one.
“The decision today, I supported it because this is terribly important to our community,” he said.
“The showgrounds injects something like $57 million in economic stimulus right across this community and I’m prepared to back the decision that was made today.”
Speaking at the ordinary meeting yesterday, Mr Charles told councillors the RASQ was just one catastrophe away from disaster.
“We incurred nearly all of the costs (from the show’s cancellation), which is in the vicinity of $400,000,” he said.
“We simply cannot afford another catastrophe.
“We can’t proceed with a normal show without external support.”
