State and federal governments have promised almost $164,000 to upgrade the Pomona Showgrounds, but the Noosa Council threatens to unravel the investment plan by not providing a $30,000 grant in time to clinch the deal to fund installation of floodlights for the main arena.
A cash-strapped Noosa Show Society is prepared to tip in more than $55,000 of its own funds to an overall $250,000 budget for enhanced show ring lighting and major improvements to the Iris Maher Food Hall, but may be obliged to return $85,675 to the federal government if that money can’t be spent by 30 June. The federal funding represents half the cost of the lighting improvements.
Show society president Charlie Pattison said the $85,675 grant was conditional on matching funding coming from the show society. He said the society committed $55,000 and sought the remaining $30,000 from a grant from Noosa Council but the use of Commonwealth Funding was time sensitive and he was told this week a decision on the Council grant allocation had been pushed back until mid-July.
Mr Patterson said acquittal of the Commonwealth money by the end of the financial year was a condition of the unexpected windfall to the show society from the government’s $20 million Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants Program.
“The grant offer was a godsend to the society, which suffered a revenue shortfall because the 2020 show had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,“ he said.
After failing to acquire a $30,000 contribution in the council grants round that closed in August last year the show society is hoping a change of heart emerges from the current round of Noosa Council grants which closed April this year.
“We had a meeting with Mayor Clare Stewart about this and also about how sporting clubs and other organisations don’t get a fair go out here. She took down some notes but who knows if anything will change,” Mr Pattison said.
Meanwhile Mr Pattison has sought an extension of time before the call-in of unspent money comes from the federal government.
In a further blow to the show society’s strategic planning, Noosa Council has stalled a Pomona Showgrounds Masterplan that the 2018 Noosa Council Sports and Recreation Strategy recommended should proceed.
Mr Pattison said The Pomona plan was to have occurred within the same timeframe as masterplans for sports and recreation facilities at Tewantin and Cooroy. Both these have been completed and adopted by the council, while the Pomona plan languishes in the preliminary consultation stages and Mr Pattison said he had lost faith in the process.
“The Noosa Trails Masterplan, which the council endorsed, recommends that the Pomona Showgrounds be the place where horse riders using the trails can stable their horses overnight,“ he said.
“The same stabling facilities could be used in the event of a major disaster, such as the 2019 Noosa bushfires when those fleeing the flames congregated at the showgrounds with their farm animals and pets. An evaluation of the district’s disaster preparedness following the fires revealed inadequate facilities to meet the food distribution needs of evacuees or of disaster management crews that might use the showground as a base in the case of big emergencies.“
Recently the show society was advised that it had been successful in obtaining a $78,000 grant to improve the Iris Maher Food Hall at the showgrounds, which could be used as a meals and food preparation centre in an emergency. The money was made available under the provisions of the joint Commonwealth-state Bushfires Recovery Program and the arena lighting was to play a key role in emergency operations and safety.
The proposed arena lighting, now in doubt, could be used to illuminate an area for emergency landing of helicopters at night in addition to improving safety at the grounds and allow for more evening events during the annual show and at other times, Mr Pattison said.
“All we are asking is for a leg-up from the council to assist us with our forward planning and for $30,000 for lighting to supplement the funding we are getting from other levels of government.“
