An LGBT Community Resource Centre for North Queensland?

6th November 2006

A boost to the development of healthy lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the north ofQueensland could be provided through the proposed opening of an LGBT community Resource Centre in Cairns.

The Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) is proposing to create the Centre by merging its two Cairns offices and re-locating the Townsville office to Cairns. The greater critical mass of staff and funding will allow for the operation of a Resource Centre, which would be open to other LGBT and HIV groups.

QAHC proposes that the equivalent of one and a half full time staff members would be based at the Cairns Centre as part of the gay men’s HIV prevention program. These staff would cover an area south to Mackay. The two full-time Indigenous program staff members would continue to cover north Queensland, including the peninsula and the Torres.

“We believe that the creation of a base of operations for QAHC in the north of Queensland will allow us to provide a better level of service not just in Cairns, but also in Townsville, Mackay and further a field. It will also create a more support environment for the staff and volunteers” said Paul Martin, General Manager. “We’re interested in people’s response to our proposal and how they’d like to see the Centre working.”

“A safe, friendly meeting space for LGBT groups would be a great benefit for Cairns” said Nikki Smith, current Cairns representative on the QAHC Board. “The Centre would also provide a base from which QAHC can expand its services on a range of health issues for all LGBT north Queenslanders.”

A paper outlining the proposal in more detail is available from www.qahc.org.au and from any QAHC office. QAHC is asking for the views of local community members, service providers and others with an interest. You can give you views by writing to QAHC at pmartin@qahc.org.au giving your views on the QAHC website discussion board, or by attending one of the community meetings below. A final decision will be made by the Board of QAHC in December.

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