Dempsey, council deny Blackburn claims iconic Rowers earmarked for demolition

With the controversial demolition of the Anzac Pool fresh in the memories of voters, the incumbent Bundaberg mayor has denied claims the riverside Rowers building is earmarked for demolition.

Jack Dempsey and Bundaberg council have denied Helen Blackburn's claim that the Rowers building is earmarked for demolition.

A Bundaberg institution has become the focus of the latest political stoush in the region’s council election campaign.

Speaking at a media conference on Wednesday, mayoral candidate Helen Blackburn claimed the Rowers on the River restaurant and function centre was being forced out of the council-owned property it had occupied for 22 years.

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The Rowers on the River restaurant and function centre has been host to countless wedding receptions and school graduation functions for generations of Bundaberg residents.

After a tender for a 10-year lease on the building went without any applications, the existing restaurant applied for a 10-year extension on its current lease, Ms Blackburn said.

Council records show the tender for the lease of a restaurant and function space at 2 Toonburra St closed on February 28, 2023.

The owner of the Rowers on the River restaurant and function centre, Steve Foreman, was not able to be contacted by time of publication.

Ms Blackburn said council rejected the application and instead granted a 12-month extension which is due to end on March 24, 2024, with conditions including a ban on function bookings in the final three months of the lease.

Ms Blackburn claimed council refused a 10-year lease for the existing tenant because the building was earmarked for demolition in order to make way for the state government’s Bundaberg East Levee project.

In Ms Blackburn’s view, the reason for the council granting only a 12-month lease was the building was earmarked for demolition in order to make way for the state government’s East Bundaberg Flood Levee project.

That being the case, Ms Blackburn said the demolition of the iconic building, host to countless wedding receptions and school graduation functions for generations of locals, bears similarities to the lack of transparency and community consultation that surrounded the demolition of the historic Anzac Pool.

“The community is feeling there’s a distinct lack of transparency here,” Ms Blackburn said.

“It’s shrouded in secrecy at the moment, it’s another one of those things that we have no transparency around what would happen to the building.”

Ms Blackburn said, if true, the demolition of the iconic building bears similarities to the lack of transparency and community consultation that surrounded the demolition of the historic Anzac Pool.

The Anzac Pool was demolished by the council in 2022.

A Bundaberg council spokesperson said while council had no plans to demolish the building, it did not offer an extended lease because of uncertainty around its future due to the plans for the Bundaberg East Levee being under development.

“As the state government has not yet finalised the design of the East Bundaberg Flood Levee project there is significant uncertainty regarding the levee’s exact location, and any impacts it may have on this site, it was a reduced lease period as council did not wish to offer an extended lease which may have resulted in unnecessary costs for the business owner or the community,” the spokesperson said.

Ms Blackburn’s opponent, incumbent Mayor Jack Dempsey, dismissed her claims as “negativity and scare mongering”, reiterating council’s claims that it had no plans to demolish the building.

Mr Dempsey said council undertook a $80,000 renovation of the roof of the building in 2023 in order to ensure its suitability for future lessees.

Jack Dempsey said council had no plans to demolish the Rowers building, saying the state government's Bundaberg East Flood Levee project should be delivered with “no other impacts on other parts of the area”.

“Council has actually improved the maintenance of the actual building because they see a future for that piece of council infrastructure, and not just for the ratepayers, but whoever may be the tenant in that building into the future,” he said.

“Our view is for Rowers to remain and be a great asset for the community.”

Mr Dempsey was unable to rule out that the building would be demolished as part of the state government’s plans for the Bundaberg East Flood Levee project, but said the benefits of the project to the community such as lowered insurance premiums should be realised with “no other impacts on other parts of the area”.

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“At the end of the day, we’re certainly waiting on the state government, but that is no reason why anyone should not be accepting a lease for the Rower’s facility going forward,” Mr Dempsey said.

Originally published as Dempsey, council deny Blackburn claims iconic Rowers earmarked for demolition