College Closures 'Tragic Shambles'

AgForce CEO Mike Guerin (Photo: AgForce)

February 11, 2020

AgForce Qld has slammed last week’s abolition of the Queensland Agricultural Colleges Act “without any vision or plan for replacing the institutions”.

The rural lobby group said that as well as eliminating the colleges, the Project Management Office – which had been set up by the State Government to deliver a sustainable, community-led solution – had been dissolved without a coherent plan for the future in place.

AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said regional Queensland had every right to feel let down by the government.

“The dissolution of the PMO without having a plan for the future of the colleges is like failing a student before they’ve sat the test – or even finished the semester,” Mr Guerin said.

“We had hoped the establishment of a community consultation process to be led by the PMO was a win for regional Queenslanders, an opportunity for them to have a say in the future of their colleges and the educational, vocational and economic opportunities they once provided.

“However, it appears the whole process was simply to rubber stamp the government’s process and decisions already made. It is all extremely disappointing.

“If someone had set out to design a process that would disenfranchise, frustrate and offend stakeholders and leave chaos and uncertainty in its wake, they couldn’t have come up with a better blueprint than this.

“The painfully drawn-out process has been characterised by uncertainty, a dire lack of purpose and vision, and poor, bordering on irresponsible, stakeholder engagement.

“This tragic shambles has ended the way it began 15 months ago – with a sudden announcement by the government without any notice to, let alone engagement with, key stakeholders.”

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