{"id":293851,"date":"2021-02-01T17:49:44","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T07:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=293851"},"modified":"2021-02-03T20:29:48","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T10:29:48","slug":"mens-shed-bounces-back-after-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/02\/01\/mens-shed-bounces-back-after-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Men’s Shed Bounces Back After Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From left, Brian Turner, shed manager Les Franklin, Colin Cagney, Keith Koks, Slim Jones, chair Allan Sheppard, Les Huskisson, treasurer Wayne Scott and secretary John Forster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 1, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nanango Men’s Shed members have huge plans for their new building, but it’s also going to be a big project which will keep them busy for months!<\/p>\n

The former Nanango SES building, which was located opposite the Nanango Cultural Centre in George Street, was shifted to the Baptist Church’s property in Mount Stanley Road on January 19.<\/p>\n

It’s not a replacement for their old workshop, which went up in flames last November, but a planned extension which was already in the pipeline before the disastrous fire.<\/p>\n

The new building will house a kitchen, offices, toilets, first aid room and library as well as a large, air-conditioned meeting room where men can just sit and chat, or maybe play darts or read.<\/p>\n

The SES building consists of five dongas which in a former life were welded together.<\/p>\n

It was donated to the Nanango Men’s Shed by South Burnett Regional Council but the move cost $33,000, a sum which is being subsidised by a $10,000 grant from Stanwell and $17,000 from Heritage Nanango.<\/p>\n

The men plan to erect a deck on the front with a ramp to link it to a new workshop shed next door – which will be built once insurers sort out what’s happening with the current burnt out building.<\/p>\n

Secretary John Forster told southburnett.com.au the workshop building had been written off and will have to be demolished.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the contents, including machinery, have also been written off.<\/p>\n

Detectives from Kingaroy CIB are still investigating the fire, which is believed to have been deliberately lit in a pile of pallets which were pushed up against the side of the shed.<\/p>\n

The blaze has stopped the men from working on projects but it hasn’t stopped them from getting together.<\/p>\n

They still meet regularly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30am to 12:30pm, but are currently using a side hall at the Baptist Church as a temporary room.<\/p>\n

They also meet most Saturdays – except on the first Saturday of the month, when they’re at the Nanango markets; and the third Saturday when they man a barbecue outside the Nanango IGA.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Chair Allan Sheppard said offers to help the group had flooded in from Men’s Sheds across Queensland since the fire.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But people had also been very helpful in regards to their latest project.<\/p>\n

He singled out Rob Schulte, from Schulte’s Plumbing, and Scott Lee, from Ultimate Electrical, who had offered to donate time and materials to hook up the SES building.<\/p>\n

Jamie Larsen, from Burnett House Removals, had also gone “above and beyond” during the move.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council CEO Mark Pitt and local councillor Roz Frohloff had also strongly supported the project.<\/p>\n

“We really needed a building like this, a quiet area for the members. It will be a total work-free zone,” Allan said.<\/p>\n

New members are always welcome at the Nanango Men’s Shed, but Allan stressed it’s not just for men who have retired.<\/p>\n

Membership is open to all men aged 18-plus. The oldest member at present is 89.<\/p>\n