RM Williams Centre "in a state of flux"

Nearly two years ago, the council led by Mayor Les Hotz made the decision that the centre was not part of council's core business so called for expressions of interest for someone else to either run it or buy it.

The EOI closed on May 3, 2022, and, this week, according to a council spokesperson, council declined, per resolution 2022/117, to proceed with any submissions received.

Questions put to council by Queensland Country Life about what it was costing ratepayers to run the centre; how many people visited the centre annually; and specific details of the EIS went unanswered. A request to see the centre's latest financial figures was also ignored.

The council spokesperson said "the future use of the Reginald Murray Williams Australian Bush Learning Centre will be a matter for discussion with the incoming North Burnett regional council".

According to the centre's website, the facility's two main drawcards - the Light and Sound Show and "the must-see show" that tells the RM Williams' story - are not operating due to equipment damage.

Joy Jensen, who was the North Burnett regional mayor when construction of the centre commenced in 2009 and when it opened in 2010, said she was disappointed with the poor financial situation that council found itself in.

"They're in financial difficulty and due to that difficulty they are unable to maintain a good deal of their infrastructure which includes the RM Williams Centre by the sound of it," she said.

Mrs Jensen said there was a solution to the situation of the RM Williams Centre if there was the will to do something.

"I'm saying there's no will to make sure it succeeds," she said.

The former mayor said she was appalled to hear the centre's two main attractions were not operating because of equipment failure.

"It's a very sad situation, I'm sorry to hear it's neglected as mentioned," she said.

"But, it fits with the overall picture of the North Burnett regional council. Our roads are in a very sad state of repair, our town infrastructure is also in a sad state of repairs, services have been reduced to our smaller towns and North Burnett residents are very unhappy."

Mrs Jensen said the situation of the RM Williams Centre was indicative of the situation that the North Burnett council found itself in.

She said she thought council was planning to sell the centre that had the potential to be a really good tourist attraction for the area.

"The current council will have to address that one. I thought they had addressed it, but it seems to be in a state of flux, a bit like everything else in the North Burnett not getting attention and, as I said, indicative of the situation that the North Burnett's in," she said.

The centre was built to honour bushman RM Williams and pay tribute to the bush skills and culture that the bush was founded upon.