{"id":184603,"date":"2017-07-21T00:10:47","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T14:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=184603"},"modified":"2020-08-05T21:00:39","modified_gmt":"2020-08-05T11:00:39","slug":"ringsfield-bidders-back-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2017\/07\/21\/ringsfield-bidders-back-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Ringsfield Bidders Back Out"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The South Burnett Regional Council’s call for formal expressions of interest to operate Nanango’s Ringsfield House has failed to find a new operator<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 21, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

Calls for formal expressions of interest to take over the operation of Nanango’s historic Ringsfield House have failed to produce any offers.<\/p>\n

The historic building, designed by Queensland architect Robin Dods in 1908 for the Graham family, was operated for the past 20 years by the Nanango Historical Society.<\/p>\n

In March the Society reluctantly relinquished control of the Council-owned property, citing an ageing membership and lack of volunteers to carry out routine maintenance work as reasons they were unable to continue running the complex.<\/p>\n

Ringsfield closed its doors to the public on March 31 to allow Society members to catalogue all the historical artifacts held there, and formal expressions of interest for a new operator were invited on May 19.<\/p>\n

Expressions of interest closed on June 30, and while three separate groups had expressed verbal interest in taking over Ringsfield, none were willing to commit that interest to paper.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Council is now attempting to contact them in an effort to find out why they did not follow through.<\/p>\n

The lack of a new operator means the main building at Ringsfield will remain closed to the public.<\/p>\n

Some smaller buildings and parts of the complex’s grounds are still being used by several Nanango community groups with Council’s permission.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the Council has appointed a part-time groundskeeper to look after Ringsfield’s gardens three days per week from July through to the end of September.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Council also propose to spend $97,000 on miscellaneous painting and building repairs at the complex if its second round of Works For Queensland projects are approved.<\/p>\n

At Thursday night’s meeting of the Nanango Tourism and Development Association, president Gloria Kirkness said she thought it was a shame one of Nanango’s most important tourist attractions was sitting idle during peak tourism months.<\/p>\n

“The closure of Ringsfield also means that local people who used it for weddings, functions and school formals can no longer do so, which is a great loss to the community,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I do hope the Council can find a solution to this problem quickly.”<\/p>\n

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