Byron Shire Council has voted to provide struggling local LGBTQIA+ support service Queer Family Inc with temporary access to a Council-owned property at peppercorn rent, following an impassioned plea from the organisation and a lengthy debate over governance and fairness.
The motion, put forward by Greens councillor Elia Hauge and Mayor Sarah Ndiaye at last week’s Council meeting, passed 5–4 after councillors spent more than an hour debating the merits of supporting the service versus concerns over due process.
Under the decision, Council will expand investigations into a potential permanent site for Queer Family Inc while offering the organisation temporary use of an unnamed Council-owned property from mid-August on a peppercorn rent and ‘other reasonable terms to meet Council’s legislative requirements’.
The debate followed an emotional address from Queer Family Inc’s Aiden Gentle, who described the service as ‘a lifeline’ for queer people across the region.
‘Today, you have the privilege of making a decision that will profoundly affect whether some members of this community have a place where they feel safe and belong, or whether that place is lost,’ Aiden told councillors.
Aidan said the organisation had already been forced to cut programs amid an ongoing search to secure premises, arguing that Queer Family Inc provided an essential support network for vulnerable people.
Supporters of the motion argued Council had an obligation to step in.
Cr Hauge said Queer Family Inc supported ‘one of the most marginalized parts of our community’, including young people experiencing hardship at school or home.
Mayor Ndiaye said councillors had a responsibility to support vulnerable groups. She argued the proposed arrangement was a temporary measure while staff worked through planning and governance hurdles.
But opponents argued the move risked undermining governance processes and setting an unfair precedent.
Independent councillor Michael Lyon said he admired the work of Queer Family Inc but believed Council was departing from proper procedure.
‘Council buildings are public assets that should be allocated through transparent, criteria-based processes,’ he said, referencing concerns raised in the staff report.
Independent councillor Jack Dods said he feared Council was ‘picking winners and losers’ by allocating a Council building to a specific organisation without a broader expression of interest process.
‘I really hope we can find a solution to Queer Family Inc’s ask,’ Cr Dods said.
‘Personally, I don’t think the motion on the screen is the answer.’
Councillor Janet Swain also opposed the proposal, saying Council should not bypass established processes, even for worthy causes.
Council staff had advised against the motion in its original form, warning that offering a Council-owned site at peppercorn rent outside a transparent process could create governance and probity concerns and potentially disadvantage other community groups seeking space.
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