General News
4 August, 2026
Fate unclear for Endeavour site
THE fate of a Mareeba disability support property remains unclear with no plans put forward to concerned families, advocacy groups and local councillors at a public meeting last week.
The Endeavour Foundation’s 2.3ha property on Cobra Creek Road has provided people with a disability with accommodation and work since the 1980s, but the organisation recently proposed to close the facility on 31 July.
Families who use the service were left shocked and angry at the lack of information about the closure, and the speed with which it was announced, including the organiser of Tuesday’s meeting, Jo Thistle, whose two children, Nathan and Chloe, lost their jobs.
Ms Thistle called the meeting to get answers from the foundation on why the closure was so abrupt, what consultation was provided to the community and whether there would be any further consultation, in particular, over any proposed sale of the Cobra Creek property.
The site was opened in 1983 and included a working farm, accommodation for people with disability and other buildings. The enterprise was supported by local clubs and the wider Mareeba community through fundraising and donated time, labour and materials for construction.
The foundation called a meeting on 23 June for participants and their families to discuss a “proposed” closure of the facility. They received information booklets and other material on their redundancy packages, before another meeting on 7 July announced the formal notice of closure.
Ms Thistle had been unable to attend the June meeting as her son had been ill, but they had received a “five-minute phone call” informing them of the decision.
“During that five-minute conversation, at no time was there any mention of a consultation process, offer of support, and the news was delivered without any compassion or empathy,” she told the meeting.
“When Chloe came home, she burst into tears, was physically shaking and extremely distressed.”
Her daughter had subsequently moved home as she could not afford to live in her unit anymore.
“For all its proclamations of advocacy, support, community engagement, compassion, under-standing and the like, the way in which the Endeavour Foundation has handled this situation is in a manner that is the complete opposite,” she said.
Ms Thistle said this had also been the case when Endeavour closed the recycling market in Atherton 14 months before. At that time, her son had lost his job.
“This is the second time now that we, and several other families, have had to go through this process with Endeavour, the only difference being the participants were offered work here at the Mareeba site. No one has that option now.”
One attendee said he and his son had been absent for the first meeting also, because they had missed the notification the day before, and the meeting was in the “middle of the day”.
Another attendee described the whole process as a “public relations nightmare”.
Endeavour Foundation chief corporate relations officer Kirrily Boulton faced the meeting as the sole representative for Endeavour and explained that the June meeting for the participants was held to ensure they did not hear of a possible closure through community hearsay, “as a matter of respect”.
Engagement was ongoing over the next few months for those who live at the property and with some of the workers.
“We will continue to provide support to each person to make their transition as smooth as possible,” she said.
“In terms of our talented employees, some are pursuing community participation options, while others are considering retirement or pursuing other employment supports.”
Because of the small number of participants in a small community, Ms Boulton said details about their future choices would remain private.
Ms Boulton said the closure had been a difficult decision, and one taken after many attempts to make the Mareeba enterprise solvent.
The foundation had heavily subsidised the operation for several years, but issues with the NDIS funding model had added further financial pressure, making continued operation unviable.
The foundation had sold off properties around the state, that had been either unused or the enterprise had merged with another location.
Mareeba had held on for as long as possible as it was the only service of its kind in the area.
“The decision was devastating for all of us,” she said.
Ms Boulton also provided a personal apology on the timing of the announcement.
“I have heard very clearly today … that families were shocked by the news, and that the way it was communicated to people felt … lacking compassion,” she said. “For that, I apologise.”
As for the site’s future, despite repeated claims by attendees that the property sale was a “done deal”, Ms Boulton said a decision had not yet been made.
Lions Club of Mareeba representative Denis McKinley told the meeting that the history of the property was tied very closely to the club, and it deserved to be considered in any proposed sale.
He said a number of plaques dedicated to the people who had worked tirelessly to get the enterprise running were on the site and needed to be protected and secured for the future.
Mareeba councillor Mladen Bosnic said the property ought to be in some, or all, part returned to the community that built it.
“If no decision’s been made (on the sale), would the idea of handing it back to the community in a trust be an option on the table?” he said.
