Precinct clubs warn of social and economic loss
Community groups based at Kingaroy Airport fear a proposed accommodation camp could damage a precinct built by volunteers over decades.
The Kingaroy airport precinct includes the Men’s Shed, the Kingaroy and District Vintage Machinery Club, the South Burnett Junior Motorcycle Club, the Kingaroy Observatory and several aviation groups.
Across the South Burnett, those organisations provide education, mentoring, skills development, volunteering and recreation.
Local club member Grant Arrell, who lives near the Kingaroy Airport precinct, said the proposal would change the character of one of the South Burnett’s most valued community precincts.
Grant Arrell raises precinct concerns
According to Arrell, many facilities at Kingaroy Airport were built and maintained through volunteer labour, fundraising and community support rather than public funding.
He said older members pass down trade skills, craftsmanship and practical knowledge to younger generations at the Men’s Shed and other clubs.
“What concerns many people is that community assets built over generations are being disregarded or treated as bargaining chips in a deal that was negotiated without public knowledge,” Arrell said.
Arrell said the South Burnett Junior Motorcycle Club, the Vintage Machinery Club, the Men’s Shed, the Kingaroy Observatory and other groups had invested decades of volunteer effort in the precinct.
Meanwhile, club events, open days, machinery rallies, educational programmes, aviation activities, LifeFlight fundraising activities and tourism experiences attract visitors to the region.
As a result, local accommodation providers, cafes, retailers and service businesses receive trade linked to activity at Kingaroy Airport.
Arrell said those organisations also create social networks that support community wellbeing and positive mental health outcomes across the South Burnett.
Residents near Kingaroy Airport are also concerned about the future of the Kingaroy Observatory, one of the region’s scientific, educational and tourism attractions.
According to Arrell, increased lighting, more vehicle movements and night activity from a large accommodation camp could affect observing conditions and the observatory’s ongoing operation.
He also argued that housing hundreds of workers at the site would add traffic, noise and round-the-clock activity to a precinct now used for aviation, recreation, education and community events.
Arrell urged decision-makers to weigh the long-term effects on clubs, volunteers, nearby residents and South Burnett businesses before any final approval.
More information about the campaign has been shared through the Kingaroy Not for Sale Facebook page.
