Hostel hostilities

LONGREACH Shire Council has placed the town’s student hostel on a temporary five-day-a-week schedule, upsetting parents of children at the hostel who say they weren’t consulted about the change.

Longreach Shire Council chief executive officer Fred de Waard informed parents of the decision late last year in a letter which also discussed the hostel rates for 2006.

Due to the recent changes, hostel managers Lee and Grant Millar have terminated their employment, and Council is now putting out tenders for new management.

Unable to comment on the resignation due to staff contractual concerns, Mr de Waard did say that the five-day operation decision was based on discussions Council had with Mr and Mrs Millar, as well as a cost analysis of the number of students who used the hostel on weekends.

“There was an understanding that not a great many people would be affected by the decision,” Mr de Waard said.
“Once the cost differential between five-day and seven-day options is known, a survey may be undertaken with the users of the hostel to find out what they think.”

Mr de Waard assured hostel users that the seven-day operation option would not be out of the question.

“If the demand for this option is there and it meets the cost criteria, then it will go ahead again,” he said.

In her report to Council, Community and Cultural Services Director Suzanne Hill-Hislop said she had had only one phone call from a concerned parent regarding the switch to a five-day operation at the hostel.

Regardless, parents with children at the hostel say the issue affects multiple families, none of whom were consulted on the decrease of service.

Sally Graham of ‘Langdale’, Longreach, said she was concerned Council hadn’t done anything to involve parents in the decision.

“My biggest gripe is that the people involved weren’t consulted about this,” Mrs Graham said.
“We were never asked what we thought about it.”

Mrs Graham agreed with Isolated Children Parents Association (ICPA) that the five-day operation decision was of great concern to families who lived in remote areas such as Boulia.

“It’s a hell of a long way to travel from there,” she said.

ICPA State president Rosemary Philp of ‘Angledool’, Longreach, said the five-day operation raised practical concerns for families on the land.

“The concern is that if it is pouring rain or there is work on the property to be done, then parents will not be able to get into town to pick up their children,” Ms Philp said.
“What alternative arrangements have been made available for these circumstances?”

Ms Philp acknowledged Council should be commended for supporting the hostel which provided a service to children from many different shires.

“Yet at the same time, the hostel had been a bugbear for the Council for many years,” she said.
“This is mainly due to duty-of-care to children and public liability.”

Local Member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson is another staunch supporter of the hostel and is aware of its current problems.

“I’ve known about the differences between the Millars and Council for about 12 months,” Mr Johnson said.
“I believe it’s very important that other shires play a role in assisting Longreach Shire with the hostel, as some parents who have children there are not residents of Longreach Shire.”

“We should be giving all kids the opportunity of a good education but some people have no hope in the world of getting to Longreach on the weekends.”