Return Slade to community

The Southern Downs is a great place to live! Located within close proximity to the city and coast, with beautiful landscapes, wonderful climates, warm friendly people, and a unique sense of community – what a great place to call home!  However, I believe the community could be enhanced by developing effective partnerships with our regional council.
The Slade property was purchased by the former Warwick Shire Council in 2007, for the community, with community funds, to protect the property from being sold to a developer.
The present council plays lip service to the formulation of a Community Plan, a visionary document required by Government, to plan for the region’s community needs until 2030. It is so important, that this document is “regarded above all other planning documents” in the council.
Despite this, the council refuses to consult with the community about the future of Slade Campus, and seems incapable of catching SLA’s vision for its use, as the heart of our community. Community groups increasingly use Slade, and its use as a respite centre for carers of those with dementia or a disability, is a real possibility. The income from the use of Slade, since our promotion of the property, has increased by 109 per cent! Councillors continue to state “Slade must be sold”, disregarding community opinion.
Our community and Slade members supported Slade Lives Again enormously – oversubscribing funds needed to lodge the submission with the council, by more than $10,000! Our fundraising phase is yet to begin. These people deserve to hear some of the hurdles we had to jump, in our efforts to connect with the council.
The regional council uses Slade extensively, as accommodation for personnel and as a preferred site for activities and functions, applauding its use and suitability, loudly. Yet, soon after a recent function at Slade, two of our councillors, high in their praise of the site, moved and seconded a motion, which resulted in the rejection of the Slade Lives Again (SLA) submission!  Slade will only be protected from the hands of developers if it remains in the hands of the community – we will retain the oval, and the memorial silky oaks around its perimeter, planted in memory of past students, who fell in World War Two
Our expression of interest was lodged in March 2011, resulting in an invitation to lodge a tender for the property.  The tender documents arrived during the first week of July, due to be lodged on September 1. Because of the limited time given and the finance necessary, we approached the council for an extension of time, which was refused. Many of our committee members are professional people in full-time work, with families, so we were faced with two options – to withdraw from the process then, or to do the best we could, in the time we were given. We chose the latter option and consulted the council about the format of our submission. It was agreed that, as long as our proposal contained a detailed plan of use, supported by a sound business plan, it would be considered.  We proposed a partnership with the council, which gave us lead time to set up a community board of governance and an active marketing plan, to promote the property.  We did not propose an outright purchase (nor could we), so a purchase price or guarantor was not required – yet that was the technicality used (behind closed doors) to reject our submission, on the basis that “it was not a proper tender”. Our submission, together with a detailed business plan projecting more than 10 years, shows how innovative commercial use of the boarding houses could support use by our community groups. The property could pay its way, and allow for the purchase of the property over the long term.
Before a decision is made, or a contract awarded to anyone for the use of the Slade Campus, we request the council to:
■ Revisit the Slade Lives Again submission and consult with the group to give the submission a fair and equitable assessment. The Christian College has been afforded this opportunity.
■ In the interest of accountability, transparency and openness, disclose the basis on which their decision is made.
Ian Perkins
President Slade Lives Again
Margaret  McKinnon
Vice President Slade Lives Again