Howard Community Centre

Howard Community Centre Home of the Howard Country Markets and numerous other activities.

03/07/2026

Regrettably, there's been some ill-informed commentary going around this morning that we would like to address. Whilst we were expecting to be blamed for everything that went wrong today, some of this is beyond the pale.

So to state it plainly : we did not, are not, and would never attempt to sabotage anything and any claims to the contrary are flat out wrong. We want to see the markets succeed, we have nothing to gain by "sabotaging" anything.

1. The power to the field. This was cancelled when the previous committee moved out, in accordance with normal business practice. The new organisers, we assumed, would have had this covered as part of their preparation for the markets. The incoming management were invited, at the last markets, to accompany us to see everything in full detail. This included the power pole. They took no notes when this happened - maybe had there been some better due diligence of behalf of some individuals, this would have been foreseen.

2. The golf buggy was never a "community asset". It did not "belong to the markets" or to the centre. It is not stolen and we are presently considering legal action against those who persistently claim that it has been. The police have been informed of the nonsense that's being promulgated by various individuals. Like other assets belonging to the previous management, it is to be sold and the funds distributed amongst various community organisations, as we stated in our original post some time ago.

29/06/2026

Burrum District Community Centre Assn Inc (the group which has been running the Community Centre in Howard for many years) will officially hand the keys back to Fraser Coast Regional Council tomorrow morning. FCRC will be managing the hall until a new tenant can be found. It may take some time to find the right tenant. Many people over the years have assumed that because the building is called a Community Centre that everything is free. This is definitely not the case. Council does not pay the bills, it does not pay wages and the annual costs are significant. No other level of government pays any of the bills either. We have been able to apply for grants for specific items but definitely not for day to day expenses such as electricity, rates, insurance, cleaning, testing of safety equipment, damages, vandalism and the list goes on. Volunteers have always raised the funds to keep the Centre going but volunteers are very thin on the ground hence our decision to give up the lease and the markets. There were many other projects that we could have undertaken over the years both old (like the Youth Groups) and new but lack of volunteers made it impossible to do everything we would have liked.
Over the years we have been able to put a little money aside. The Committee decided to distribute those funds to organisations which benefit communities as a whole and monies have been donated to the Chaplaincy programme, PCYC emergency services cadets, Life Savers cadets, Bundaberg Legacy, MACE, Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal, Howard RSL, Howard Golf Club veterans and juniors and community security tools for the Police.
We wish to thank the business houses of Howard for their support of our Christmas Carnival over many years, all our stall holders, the public who have supported our markets and our wonderful volunteers without whom none of what we have done would have been possible. Many of us have made long term friends by our involvement with volunteering. Our sincere thanks goes to the Federal Member for Hinkler - David Batt, former member for Maryborough - Bruce Saunders and Division 1 Councillor - Michelle Byrne.
Effective from 30th June this page will no longer be active and our phone number of 4129 0996 will be disconnected.
For any updates on the hall please contact Fraser Coast Regional Council on 1300 79 49 29

28/06/2026

The Centrelink mobile service is coming to Howard in July.
Serving regional Australia
Visit the mobile service centre to find out about Australian Government
payments and services for rural families, older Australians, students,
job seekers, people with disability, carers, farmers and self-employed people.
We can also help veterans and their families connect to the
Department of Veterans’ Affairs phone line and online services.
Staff can provide you with information and support. They can also help
you create a myGov account. myGov is a simple and secure way to access
government services online.

Thursday 16th July, Community Centre Car Park 9am to 2pm

17/06/2026

We have been advised by Fraser Coast Regional Council that they have given Howard Progress Association a permit to hold the Howard Markets (with conditions which we are unaware of). Please contact them direct (the only contact we have is email - [email protected]) or contact Fraser Coast Regional Council.
Thank you to all stall holders over the years and we wish you all the very best for the future.

03/06/2026

Howard Country Markets are on this Saturday 6th June 2026 from 7am till 12noon. IF THERE IS ANY CHANGE BECAUSE OF WEATHER A MESSAGE WILL BE PUT ON THIS PAGE AND ON OUR ANSWERING MACHINE. Bookings and cancellations for stall holders close at 2pm on Thursday 4th June.
As always, a fantastic variety of stalls including (but not limited to) fruit & veg, jams, slices & biscuits, Indian spices, cheeses,, woodwork, leatherwork, clothing, loads of different plants, trees & palms, candles, magnesium, garden ornaments, crystals, jewellery, body products, health foods, coffee van, ice cream van, yoghurt, mango smoothies, craft, bricabrac, tools, LED products, face painting for the kids and much more.
While in our area please take time to visit our retailers - Van Cootens Friendly Grocer, Van Cootens Drapery, Burrum Distriict Realty, Howard Hot Bread Bakery, Howard Butchery, Howard Pharmacy, Howard Post Office, Howard Country Style Milk Bar, Howard IGA, the Grand Hotel, My Magickal Mess and Howard Landscape and Produce Supplies. Just off the highway is beautiful Bambooland.
We are a very dog friendly market for responsible dog owners.
Our canteen, sausage sizzle and drinks stall will be open from 7am. Please note there are no stalls in the hall and no public seating is provided.
As this is the final market our committee will run (after 15 years) we wish to take the opportunity to thank all our wonderful stall holders, visitors and fantastic volunteers over the years. For information on future markets please contact Fraser Coast Regional Council.
Have a great day in historic Howard this Saturday

02/06/2026

Recent news regarding the Howard Markets. To date there has been no decision made as to who will take over from July. Council will only consider written applications from interested parties and, to date, there has only been one submitted from an individual (not any groups). Obviously we are not involved in the selection process of who will get the markets or how Council will determine the conditions of same.
There are rumours going around that a particular group will be running the markets from now on but this is definitely not the case as Council has not awarded them to anybody yet.
Interested parties should submit their interest IN WRITING to Fraser Coast Regional Council as soon as possible to even be considered.

05/05/2026

It is with deep regret that we confirm that the Howard markets scheduled for 6 June will be the final market run by the current committee. The Howard Community Centre committee will be standing down as of 30 June, the community centre will close and the markets and Christmas Carnival will cease unless Council has applicants to take it all over.

This has not been an easy decision. All of the current committee members have given years of service, with some volunteering their time for some 15 years. However, the reality is that the committee are aging, some have health problems, and the workload required to manage the centre and run the markets is significant. Things cannot continue indefinitely without new people stepping forward.

Over recent years, repeated calls for fresh volunteers, who wish to learn how the centre works and eventually join the committee, have not resulted in enough people willing to take on the responsibility of managing the centre and continuing the markets. Without that support, the current committee believes there is no practical alternative. This decision was unanimous.

Some may ask why a public meeting was not held before reaching this point. The committee’s view is that the problem has not been a shortage of opinions, concerns, or public commentary. The problem has been a shortage of people prepared to formally take responsibility for the work.

Running the centre and markets requires ongoing administration, compliance, insurance, correspondence, volunteer coordination, physical work, accountability, and office-bearer roles. This is also not to mention the ongoing costs of having the lease on the building (rates, insurance, electricity, maintenance, repairs, cleaning and the list goes on). Unless people are prepared to take on those responsibilities, a public meeting does not solve the underlying problem.

Another major factor has been the ongoing difficulty of dealing with Council processes. The committee has faced repeated delays, obstruction, and excessive red tape over matters that should have been straightforward. These issues have consumed enormous volunteer time and energy, and have made it increasingly difficult and discouraging to keep the centre operating.

This is not a criticism of Councillor Michelle Byrne, who has worked hard to assist the committee, advocate for the centre, and help us navigate these issues. We sincerely thank her for her efforts.

Some of the recent social media commentary has been disappointing, but we didn't arrive at this point because of online criticism. The decision has been driven by the simple reality that the centre and markets require volunteers willing to take responsibility for their ongoing operation.

The committee has informed Council of this decision. Once all outstanding expenses and obligations have been met, any remaining funds will be distributed in accordance with the centre’s rules and legal obligations, with the intention that they benefit charities and community welfare in the district. The recipients of the funds have been decided by the committee and distribution has commenced. None of the committee will receive any of these funds. Keys, security codes and other items relevant to the building will be handed over to Council soon after.

We would like to sincerely thank every volunteer, stallholder, supporter, and community member who has helped the centre and markets over the years. Volunteering brings you into contact with some wonderful people, and we feel privileged to have worked alongside so many of you. The markets have been an important part of local life for many years, and the committee is proud of what has been built and maintained through volunteer effort.

28/04/2026

Howard Country Markets are on this Saturday 2nd May 2026 from 7am till 12noon. IF THERE IS ANY CHANGE BECAUSE OF WEATHER A MESSAGE WILL BE PUT ON THIS PAGE AND ON OUR ANSWERING MACHINE. Bookings and cancellations for stall holders close at 2pm on Thursday 30th Aopril.
As always, a fantastic variety of stalls including (but not limited to) fruit & veg, jams, slices & biscuits, Indian spices, cheeses,, woodwork, leatherwork, clothing, loads of different plants, trees & palms, candles, magnesium, garden ornaments, crystals, jewellery, body products, various alcohol products, health foods, coffee van, yoghurt, mango smoothies, craft, bricabrac, tools, LED products, face painting for the kids and much more.
While in our area please take time to visit our retailers - Van Cootens Friendly Grocer, Van Cootens Drapery, Burrum Distriict Realty, Howard Hot Bread Bakery, Howard Butchery, Howard Pharmacy, Howard Post Office, Howard Country Style Milk Bar, Howard IGA, the Grand Hotel, My Magickal Mess and Howard Landscape and Produce Supplies. Just off the highway is beautiful Bambooland.
We are a very dog friendly market for responsible dog owners.
Our canteen, sausage sizzle and drinks stall will be open from 7am. Please note there are no stalls in the hall and no public seating is provided.
Have a great day in historic Howard this Saturday.

Address

56 Steley St
Howard, QLD
4659

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 2pm
Tuesday 9am - 2pm
Wednesday 9am - 2pm
Thursday 9am - 2pm

Telephone

+61741290996

Website

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