General News
18 June, 2025
Dajarra saviour: Local steps up to buy houses
Scott Punch purchased 11 properties at a public auction last week, ensuring security for his family.
Scott Punch might be the new unofficial mayor of Dajarra.
The local business owner is the proud owner of 11 new properties in the community after he snapped them up at auction last week.
His motivation? Ensuring that his family members wouldn’t face the prospect of eviction if someone else bought the homes, which were previously owned by Jimberella Co-Operative Society.
“They were all a bit stressed for the past few weeks after hearing about the auction,” Mr Punch told North West Weekly.
“They are family and I didn’t know where they would end up if someone else bought the houses.”
“I think they can sleep well now.”
Mr Punch will likely end up as the owner of 10 of the properties, which sold for between $10,000 and $15,000, with the funds raised going to Cloncurry Shire Council to make up for Jimberella’s unpaid rates over a lengthy period.
A vacant block could be one of Mr Punch’s best buys.
He purchased 9 Dillon Street in Dajarra for the bargain basement price of $4000.
“I’ve got a few things coming up in the pipeline and, if I can pull it together, I think it’ll be a good success,” Mr Punch said of his plans to expand his business offerings in the remote community, located about 130km south of Mount Isa.
“At the end of the day, I’m hoping there is a good future (in Dajarra).”
Mr Punch is the owner of the Dajarra Roadhouse and also operates a successful earthmoving company.
However, he was one of the biggest creditors following the collapse of Centrex, which went into administration earlier this year.
He hopes that new owners will take on the mine and look to locals such as himself for contracting work.
When the properties settle in a month’s time, Mr Punch will be the biggest ratepayer in Dajarra and said he hoped that would come with some influence over the direction of the community with Cloncurry Shire.
“Being a major ratepayer, I think that we can have a bit more say and hopefully see a few more changes in the town,” he said.
“We need some more facilities for the kids. They’ve got a skatepark at this stage.”
Mr Punch said prior to the auction, he sat down with his family members and discussed the likelihood that they would soon be paying rent.
“This situation (auction) could have been avoided ages ago if the government had gone down the right path and intervened,” he said.
“I won’t be managing the properties, though. I’ve got a real estate agent who has already agreed to come in and look after them for me.”
Cloncurry mayor Greg Campbell praised Mr Punch for his dedication to Dajarra and hoped to build a strong working relationship with the business and property owner.
“The fact that Scott is able to buy those properties and have the best interest of the community at heart is really pleasing,” Cr Campbell said.
“What’s still disappointing is that it had to get to that stage. Now, there’s some interest from government agencies to help out.
“But that is what we’d been asking for leading up to the auction so it didn’t create angst in the community. We could have got a good outcome for the community with the departments working with us.”
The mayor said the council would still have to wear a big loss from rate arrears, but was pleased with the outcome of last Wednesday’s auction.
“The council is investing in Dajarra. The contractors are there, as we speak, replacing the entire water distribution network,” Cr Campbell said.
“Once that work is finished, we’ve got plans to bring the streets back to virtually a new condition.
“So, we’re investing strongly in the community and I think that’s a good incentive for the state government to do the same.”
Both Cloncurry properties at the auction went unsold, while a further nine Dajarra properties failed to sell, including the Jimberella Hall, although Cr Campbell said he was working with local stakeholders for a positive solution.
