UNCERTAINTY surrounds the future of Tamborine Mountain’s Long Road Sports Complex after Scenic Rim Regional Council voted against a funding request from the Tamborine Mountain Sports Association (TMSA) and resolved to renegotiate its lease.
At its October 29 Ordinary Meeting, councillors voted to enter discussions with the association to “mutually determine” the future of the lease after Council officers advised against reimbursing approximately $31,800 in past works – much of it repair work from the cyclone – and providing $50,700 for urgent repairs.
Division One Councillor Amanda Hay, who introduced the late agenda item, said the decision followed several discussions between Council and the association earlier in October.
“The Long Road Sports facility is currently managed by Tamborine Mountain Sports Association Limited under a lease agreement with Council,” Cr Hay said.
“Council received correspondence from the Sports Association on October 1 requesting a meeting to discuss particular matters outlined within that correspondence.”
She said the Association had sought funding to address shortfalls in operating and maintenance costs, as well as reimbursement for past works.
“A matter of focus presented by TMSA was operational costs associated with the operation of the Long Road Sports Facility and a request for short-term funding and a long-term partnership agreement was presented by TMSA for Council’s consideration,” she said.
In the meeting agenda, Council stated under the current lease the Association is responsible for maintaining the facility, but acknowledged the need for further talks to ensure it remains safe and operational.
TMSA President Mick Angus said the public handling of the issue had damaged trust.
“They’ll say it’s a negotiation now, which is all we’ve been asking for,” he said.
“They haven’t represented our request correctly in the process. We’ve been asking for a lease review with shared responsibilities for years now.”
According to Council’s agenda, TMSA sought $362,581 to cover past, current and future costs – including $31,753 in reimbursements and $330,828 for maintenance and operations.
However, Mr Angus said Council had misrepresented the association’s intent.
“Council keeps saying we asked for $362,581, which sounds like a cash grab, but that’s not the full story,” he said.
“Our request was in three parts divided into past, urgent repairs and future regular management fees, either in-kind or in partnership.
“It costs around $200,000 a year to run the joint, and that’s what we’ve been doing ourselves. We weren’t asking them to hand over that money – we were trying to show what it actually costs to keep the place going.”
Mr Angus said volunteers had maintained the precinct for 15 years under a peppercorn lease, relying on film hire, special events and school use to generate alternate income streams so they can keep participant fees low.
“You can’t pay for capital items with volunteer sweat,” he said.
“That requires money.”
He said vital assets such as pumps, bores and irrigation were at the end of their life and that council had long known about it.
“If the pump goes on the Vonda Youngman Centre, they find the money. If it happens at the Beaudesert Library, they find the money. But at Long Road, we’re told it’s our problem,” he said.
“They put their head in the sand and hope the problem will go away.”
Mr Angus also disputed Council’s claim that more than $300,000 had already been spent on the site, saying a lot of those funds were directed to council-managed projects rather than community priorities.
“Council says that money’s been allocated to Long Road, but it hasn’t been allocated to TMSA,” Mr Angus said.
“This year they’ve budgeted to spend $500,000 replacing the septic tank, not on what we’ve identified as priority projects.”
The agenda said additional contributions would be “inequitable” under the lease and could set a precedent for other facilities.
Mr Angus rejected suggestions of mismanagement, saying the association had provided its financial statements and acted transparently.
“That’s nonsense. It’s a distraction to the real underlying issues,” he said.
“And it’s not just us, we know it’s a region wide issue for community and volunteer organisations across the Scenic Rim.
What they should be doing is thanking our board and a handful of volunteers for keeping the joint alive for 15 years.”
He said volunteers were growing frustrated after years of stalled progress.
“We can get Council to a meeting, and we’ve had millions, but we just can’t get them to do anything out of those meetings.”
Division Three Councillor Steve Moriarty, who holds the Sport and Recreation portfolio, said the decision was intended “not to shut down sport on the mountain” but to make sure facilities across the region are managed under consistent arrangements.
Council’s Director Infrastructure Services James Ruprai reiterated Cr Moriarty’s comment, saying Council must ensure that contributions are equitable for Council-owned or controlled sports and recreation facilities for the same type across the Scenic Rim region.
“Council’s 2025-26 operational budget makes no provision for a contribution towards TMSA’s operating expenditure,” Mr Ruprai said.
“In line with its resolution arising from the Ordinary Meeting of October 29, 2025, Council is currently corresponding with TMSA as per the conditions of the lease agreement and will report back to the community as soon as possible.
“Council remains committed to ensuring that the region’s public sportsgrounds are available and maintained for the benefit of local sporting and community user groups.”
