The Queensland government has allocated over $630,000 to renovate a property partially owned by Shane Rendalls, a councillor from the Redlands region. The funding is aimed at creating job training opportunities for local workers through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program. The project involves the renovation of seven cabins and a three-bedroom house on Russell Island, located east of Brisbane.
Funding for the renovation was secured by Skill360, a work training company operated by BUSY At Work, which entered into a funding agreement in July for a total of $636,700. This initiative is expected to provide training for 24 workers, granting them a Certificate 1 in construction over a 20-week traineeship. The state government has stated that the refurbished house will serve as a community centre, while the renovated cabins will be utilized for crisis accommodation.
The property in question was purchased for $975,000 in April 2022 by Rendalls and his wife, Elizabeth, through their superannuation fund. They co-own the property with local builder and president of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands Chamber of Commerce, Dan Golin, who holds his share through the Marley Investment Group, where he is the sole director. Rendalls, who previously served as president of the SMBI Chamber of Commerce, was elected to council in 2024 as a community-focused independent.
During the recent state election, Rendalls and Golin actively supported Rebecca Young, the current member for Redlands. Rendalls endorsed Young’s campaign, highlighting her commitment to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands. Golin was seen distributing how-to-vote cards while wearing campaign attire for Young.
The state government clarified that it has no intention of operating future programs on the property, with Good Wilma Ltd slated to manage the facilities. Good Wilma was registered in June, with Golin, his wife Michelle, and Rendalls’ wife listed as operators. Rendalls asserted that the property was provided as a training location to BUSY At Work without receiving any venue funding. He emphasized that the arrangement was established during the previous government.
“Our aim is to give back to the community,” Rendalls stated, mentioning efforts to create affordable housing for vulnerable populations, including older women and victims of domestic violence. He noted that the owners have also contributed goods to support the training programs, such as kitchen appliances and sanitary supplies.
While there are currently no development applications for the property lodged with Redland City Council, Young has prominently featured the project on her website and social media, promoting it as a means of addressing domestic violence issues in Queensland. In her communications, she emphasized the need for additional domestic violence accommodation in the region.
Young stated, “The safety of victim-survivors is one of the highest priorities for me, which is why I welcome additional domestic violence accommodation for the Redlands.” According to her diary, she has met with Rendalls on eight occasions since her election.
The collaboration between local councillors and business owners for this project highlights ongoing efforts to provide community support through training and accommodation initiatives. As the renovations progress, stakeholders will continue to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the funding and training provided to local residents.
