General News
30 July, 2025
Council accused of an unfair land grab
A FORMER councillor has taken a swipe at the Etheridge Shire Council after it refused to support the renewal of a lease of land he has operated for 30 years.
Tony Gallagher says he purchased a butcher shop in Georgetown in June 1994 and was given a special lease of land known as “butcher paddock” because it had an abattoir on it.
During the next three decades, he operated a slaughtering yard on the land to support the butcher shop and for individual beef producers.
But when the lease was coming up for renewal with the Department of Lands, the council was asked in August last year if it had any objections to renewing the lease to Mr Gallagher.
Mr Gallagher says that without any consultation with himself or his son, Aaron, who had been working in the business with him for the past decade, council chose not to support it.
“I was shocked – council made their decision based on the author of the report stating the business had ceased,” he told The Express.
“This was untrue. We had sold the butcher shop but still held accreditation on the abattoir and still paid accreditation fees to Safe Food Queensland and had still done a desktop audit.
“Council never consulted with us and made their decision based on hearsay.”
When Mr Gallagher and his son were notified of council’s decision, they asked for a deputation and were granted 30 minutes in September 2024.
“Aaron presented our case and the future plans for the abattoir with supporting documentation from Safe Food outlining plans for a rebuild of the slaughtering facilities,” he said.
“Council were not interested in viewing the documentation and we asked that in view of this information would they withdraw their objection. Mayor Hughes would not give us an answer at the time but said council would discuss it.”
In November, they were granted a meeting with new chief executive officer Mark Watt, but they still had no joy.
“The CEO just stood his high ground and kept quoting that council had the right to object to the lease renewal,” Mr Gallagher said.
On 24 December, council directed the CEO to present a report on future leasing of the land including a land study commissioned by council, and in February of this year, council resolved to call tenders for the lease of the land for grazing.
In May, Mr Gallagher received a letter from the Department of Resources stating that council had not supported renewing the lease because “it wishes to investigate future development of the township reserve”.
The situation has angered Mr Gallagher who cannot understand why the council would not support the renewal of the lease when it did not have any other real alternative use for the land.
“Before the council decision in August 2024, not one councillor reached out to us to get information which is a bit sad after the contribution to the economy of the shire and the towns and some of the councillors I’ve known all their lives,” he said.
“Council have never offered any compensation or alternative leasing, but with a stroke of a pen, it’s all gone.
“This has been a devastating blow to us and to me and particular as I am nearly 77 years old and this land has meant so much to me in the past. Aaron has three boys going to Georgetown State School and wanted to continue slaughtering for Georgetown Butchery and others.”
Mr Gallagher said the council’s move should be a warning to others who had long-term leases.
“This could set a precedent on any land that council has control over – they can just take it over with a stroke of a pen,” he said.
The Express contacted the CEO at Etheridge Shire Council asking why the council did not want to support the renewal of the lease and why council officers did not consult with Mr Gallagher prior to assuming the business was no longer operating, but the council failed to respond to questions.
