January 21, 2013
A new home for Kingaroy and District Vintage Machinery Club rallies is starting to take shape on land near Kingaroy Airport.
Earthworks have begun on the former Butwell cricket oval and adjacent land, located between the Burnett War Museum and the Kingaroy Motocross grounds.
The club’s vision for the site includes a large clubhouse, which could be shared with other South Burnett clubs, an arena for activities, and an historic village.
Representatives of various South Burnett groups interested in being involved in the project met on site on Sunday afternoon. They included the South Burnett Antique Motor Club, the Historic Motorcycle Club of Qld – Kingaroy, and South Burnett Woodcrafters.
Machinery Club spokesman Matt Lonsdale said the club had secured a 20-year lease on the land from the South Burnett Regional Council.
Currently it holds its annual rally at the Kumbia sportsground but it believes it has almost outgrown this venue.
The new area would provide room for expansion, if necessary, into the peanut paddock which the club has been cultivating for income for many years.
Mr Lonsdale said other clubs would be invited to build their own sheds on the land as well as sharing the joint clubhouse.
Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell and Cr Damien Tessmann attended Sunday’s meeting.
Cr Campbell said the Council had a “good level of interest” in the project.
“There will be some hoops and hurdles that will need to be accommodated but I’d like to help out where possible to expedite things,” he said.
Cr Tessmann suggested the group swap notes with Boondooma Homestead which was trying to do something similar with an historic feel.
Mr Lonsdale said the clubhouse could cost more than $100,000 to erect.
He envisaged each club would put in a little bit of money but the bulk would come from grants.
Three-phase power and water will be available on the site, but no sewerage.
The club has already marked out suggested streets and blocks in the area for the historic village.
It is also currently digging a large hole to bury World War II-era concrete dumped when the nearby American airbase was broken up. The soil from this hole will be used to build embankments on the site for an arena.
One of the terms of the council lease was that one of the former cricket pitches be preserved and identified with appropriate signage.
It’s believed no cricket has been played at the ground for about 25 years.
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Video: Last September’s Kingaroy & District Vintage Machinery Club Rally at Kumbia Sportsgrounds |
