The group has used the facility for almost three decades as the location for its annual scout camp.

They were scheduled to hold the event at the Lion’s Youth Camp at Lake Moondarra in October.

However, Scouts of the Air youth program support region commissioner Jenny Staddon said she received a phone call in May from the Mount Isa Water Board informing her that the camp grounds were planned for closure and the scout’s camp could not be held there.

Scouts of the Air holds a weekly meeting from the Mount Isa School of the Air through the airwaves to reach children on remote stations from Burketown to Bedourie.

Scouts of the Air provide an opportunity for about 18 kids aged between 7 and 14 to learn about bush craft, survival techniques and the ethics and life lessons from being a scout.

The annual camp was one of only three events the children had to socialise in person with one another each year.

Mrs Staddon has volunteered with the North West club for 32 years.

She said it was the first time the group had been forced to consider not running the camp.

“I haven’t even told the kids yet,” she said.

“But we are hoping we can find somewhere else.”

The group was desperately searching for a new site for the camp.

The camp must be held between October 9 and 11 as these dates were arranged with the children’s parents throughout the region and changing these dates would either risk some of the scouts from not being able to attend or make it difficult for the parents to arrange their business plans on their stations.

The group must find a facility that complies with scout regulations, so a potential camp site would need a kitchen, separate boys and girls toilets and showers and undercover recreation and sleeping areas.

A small business owner, Mrs Staddon said she could not be away from her premises for long so it would need to be in the Mount Isa vicinity.

Mrs Staddon said the Lion’s Youth Camp was the perfect location and it was disappointing the camp site that had been used by the group for almost three decades was no longer available.

Mount Isa Water Board chief executive officer Ian Pascoe said while he sympathised with the plight of community groups who were no longer able to use the camp site, the board had to decide on a date when the closure would take place.