General News
4 April, 2026
Pavilion demolition looms
THE demolition of the much-loved Patrick English Pavilion is looming after Tablelands Regional Council awarded a $422,568 contract to have the building brought down.
The pavilion was shut down by the council in June 2024 after it claimed a “routine structural assessment identified serious structural issues”.
The report revealed it would cost $2.3 million just to repair parts of the building to make it safe but not to upgrade other components such as electrical and plumbing systems.
The Malanda Show Society was locked out from using the building a few weeks before the 2024 annual event and still has a lot of equipment inside which they were not allowed to retrieve.
At its recent meeting in closed session, council awarded a $422,568 contract to Carr NQ Constructions Pty Ltd to demolish the building.
The Express asked council when the demolition would occur; whether equipment owned by the show society would be retrieved and returned to the organisation; whether components of the building would be retained to incorporate into any new replacement building; and whether the council would advise the community when the demolition was to occur.
The council did not answer these questions, instead sending a short response: “Council is currently finalising the operational timeline for the pavilion site. We will be issuing an update next week (this week) that will address demolition schedules and anticipated site management planned.”
