{"id":252590,"date":"2020-02-11T17:54:37","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T07:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=252590"},"modified":"2020-02-11T18:03:26","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T08:03:26","slug":"college-closures-tragic-shambles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/02\/11\/college-closures-tragic-shambles\/","title":{"rendered":"College Closures ‘Tragic Shambles’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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AgForce CEO Mike Guerin (Photo: AgForce)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 11, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

AgForce Qld has slammed last week\u2019s abolition of the Queensland Agricultural Colleges Act “without any vision or plan for replacing the institutions”.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 had been dissolved without a coherent plan for the future in place.<\/p>\n

AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said regional Queensland had every right to feel let down by the government.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dissolution of the PMO without having a plan for the future of the colleges is like failing a student before they\u2019ve sat the test \u2013 or even finished the semester,\u201d Mr Guerin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, it appears the whole process was simply to rubber stamp the government\u2019s process and decisions already made. It is all extremely disappointing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf 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\u2019t have come up with a better blueprint than this.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe painfully drawn-out process has been characterised by uncertainty, a dire lack of purpose and vision, and poor, bordering on irresponsible, stakeholder engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tragic shambles has ended the way it began 15 months ago \u2013 with a sudden announcement by the government without any notice to, let alone engagement with, key stakeholders.”<\/p>\n

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