Maranoa Regional Council vote to conceal asking price for Romavilla Winery

The asking price of an historic Roma winery will be kept confidential following a vote from councillors, sparking a heated debated as to whether councillors can make an informed decision.

Romavilla Winery.

The abandoned Romavilla Winery which stands as Queensland’s oldest winery has been the subject of heated debate as to whether Maranoa Regional Council should purchase the property.

Now councillors are calling to reveal the price to the community as part of a consultation process to determine the building’s future.

At the April ordinary meeting, councillor Wendy Taylor proposed to get a written sale price from the owner of Romavilla Winery and then reveal it to the community so residents can make an informed decision.

Councillor Hancock agreed and said revealing the asking price of the winery to the public follows “the principles of local government, where we’re being open, transparent and having meaningful consultation with the community.”

“Since it’s gone out to the community, I have had people come to me and ask me about it,” she said.

“The very first question they ask me is ‘how much’?

“We can’t give that detail, so we’re asking the community to provide feedback without giving them the whole story. I don’t think that’s open and transparent as councillors.

Maranoa Region Councillor Johanne Hancock has been an avid volunteer and has worked within the community since first moving to Surat in 2001.

“I do think we need to be respectful of the person selling the winery and that’s why we’re just putting (price) range out there.”

Ms Hancock said she as a sitting councillor would like to be privy to the written sales price as she herself hasn’t seen it yet.

“I think as council we need a written sale price, not just verbal.”

However council CEO Edwina Marks refuted these claims and said councillors had been supplied the price “at least twice” and reminded her that this sale is a “commercial in confidence transaction”.

Mayor Tyson Golder disagreed with disclosing the price to the community before they’ve made a decision.

Maranoa Regional Council Mayor Tyson Golder.

“I don’t think we’ve always had (price) negotiations of this nature in there (community consultations), I think it needs to be confidential.”

When Councillor Taylor asked the mayor how you can negotiate on something you don’t the know the price of, the mayor said she was being disrespectful.

“That’s disrespectful councillor Taylor, you know I’ve spoken to the owner of it.

“It is disrespectful when two people (the mayor and CEO) have told you they spoke to them and got a price.”

The motion for councillors to get a written asking price for Romavilla Winery and inform the community was lost with a 4-5 vote.

Originally published as Maranoa Regional Council vote to conceal asking price for Romavilla Winery