it fuelled the growth of the town, which opened for settlement in 1911 (Photo: Wikipedia)
August 20, 2018
The Goomeri Pumpkin Festival could take control of Goomeri’s historic railway station building if Gympie Regional Council gives the proposal a go-ahead.
If it does, the Pumpkin Festival committee will seek a $250,000 grant to refurbish the building.
Refurbishment work would include the creation of historic memorabilia display areas, a public meeting room, an exhibition space and an administrative centre for the festival.
Gympie Regional Council will also contribute $20,000 towards the project if the festival secures funding to carry out the balance of the work.
The future of the railway station, tennis courts, basketball courts, Hall of Memory and the Breitkreutz Pavilion at the rear of the sports ovals in McIvor Street will all be debated at the Council’s next ordinary meeting on Wednesday (August 22).
The debate will come after the Council held three community engagement sessions to discuss community facilities in Goomeri with the district’s residents last November, and in March and June this year.
If Councillors accept staff recommendations, the tennis court’s fences will be removed, the area will be tidied up and the current surface will be maintained for a year until additional funds become available to either grass the courts or apply a new gravel base over it.
Meanwhile, the basketball courts could be resurfaced and turned into multi-purpose facility for basketball, tennis and handball.
The Hall Of Memory is in line for external repainting in suitable heritage colours, and the Breitkreutz Pavilion will be turned back over to community group management if a suitable group can be found to run it.
The Pavilion, a former school house relocated to the site, was refurbished in 1996 and used as a sports club by local cricket and rugby league players.
However, the sports association that oversaw the building folded many years ago and management of the building reverted to Gympie Regional Council.
At present, the building’s only user is the unincorporated Goomeri Playgroup, which meets there for two hours each week.
(Photo: Facebook)
