Redlands MP Rebecca Young supported training project move to councillor Shane Rendalls land, documents show
“Owner Dan Golin purchased this land solely to develop it for the free use of community facilities,” Skill360 project manager Kristie Kelly said in an email to the department.
In response to an email running the request through the chain, department program manager Peter Hodges said he supported the move.
“I saw that and we had Rebecca Young – Member Redland and she likes the idea of it being a community setting and housing for vulnerable people in times like these,” Hodges said, adding that the department would make sure no funds were given to landowners.
Projects receiving Queenslanders Skilling for Work funding must benefit the wider community. The Russell Island project saw 24 trainees gain a Certificate I in construction whilst working on various sites.
Young promoted the project on his Facebook page in August of this year.
“Skill360 is providing construction training to 24 local residents on Russell Island while transforming housing into a vital community space,” he wrote.
Golin and Rendalls supported Young.
Golin (right) is campaigning for Rebecca Young.
Rendalls wrote a glowing endorsement that was printed on campaign material ahead of last year’s state election, while Golin handed out how-to-vote cards in a blue LNP “Rebecca Young for Redlands” T-shirt.
The provincial government has said it has no plans to operate on the island once the work is completed. Adapting to the crisis will be run by a company called Good Wilma, which was registered in June – three months after the email chain – with Golin, his wife Michelle and Rendalls’ wife Elizabeth listed as its operators.
Skill360 officially pulled the plug on the project through its parent company, BUSY at Work, in October, just two days from this imprint. reported that landowners supported the local member.
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In a blog post written the same day this byline published the story, Rendalls said the property owners were unhappy with the work and pulled out a month ago.
BUSY at Work said in a statement that the “local landlord program” had decided not to carry out any further work on the property.
A department spokesman said the project change was approved because it demonstrated value to the local community.
Young said the safety of the surviving victims was his top priority but did not respond to questions about his connections to Rendalls and Golin.
“I welcome additional domestic violence regulations for Redlands after the former Labor government failed to implement DV reforms and put victim-survivors at risk,” he said.
A Redland City Council spokesman said they were unaware of the project being moved to Rendalls’ land.
Rendalls said he had no role in Good Wilma’s operations, although he had previously described the nonprofit as “us giving back to the community.”
Golin has also been contacted for comment.
