From the Mayor's Desk

A meeting with Minister Dianne (Di) Farmer

During the week, I met with the Honourable Minister for Employment and Small Business, Minister for Training and Skills Development, and Minister for Youth Justice, Di Farmer. I took this opportunity to raise concerns about the current deficiencies with the justice system, particularly regarding repeat youth offenders.  Council will continue to advocate for changes to protect our community better.

On Tuesday, I was pleased to join Minister Farmer for her announcement of the $3 million Rural and Remote Capacity Building Project, which will target training for staff at 24 councils, including Goondiwindi Regional Council. The funding aims to address workforce challenges like labour shortages and assist in retaining staff in rural and remote areas. This is a great opportunity, and I am thankful to the State government for the investment in our Council, as we are one of the biggest employers in our local region. This funding will support upskilling our team, leading to a long and rewarding career in local government.

If I were the Mayor for one day

I had the opportunity to discuss the topic 'If I were Mayor for a day' with senior leaders from Goondiwindi State High School and Border Rivers Christian College this week at the Bush Councils Convention. They participated in a Q & A panel in front of 200 delegates and presented their thoughts and the reasoning behind their views on what they would do if they were Mayor for a day.  Listening to the perspectives of our youth is essential for decision making today, and for shaping the future of our rural and regional communities. These senior school leaders were a credit to their school and families, and it was yet another example of the outstanding community we have in the Goondiwindi region.

A meeting with the Moree Mayor Mark Johnson

This fortnight I also had the pleasure of welcoming Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor Mark Johnson and their recently appointed General Manager, Kelvin Tytherleigh to Goondiwindi. Mark and I have committed to regular meetings to discuss a range of shared issues with the aim of fostering a strong bond and advocacy capacity between the two councils. This collaboration is possibly the strongest cross-border connection we’ve seen in this region for some time, and I look forward to our Councils strongly advocating for improved liveability for our inter-connected communities.

Tie Up the Black Dog

Depression and mental illness can affect many Australians regardless of geographic location, so I was pleased to be invited to attend and welcome former NRL player Darius Boyd to the stage for the Care Goondiwindi and Tie Up the Black Dog event last week. Around 150 people attended the event at the Goondiwindi Cinema and Theatre Complex, with Darius sharing his personal struggle with mental health issues.  

Care Goondiwindi and Tie Up The Black Dog have also announced two guest speakers scheduled for October, Samuel Johnson and Aaron Williams, to share their 'Life Stuff' talk.

VIC Steering Committee meeting

Last week, I attended the Goondiwindi Visitor Information Centre (VIC) Steering Committee meeting. This meeting provides an opportunity for the volunteers at the Goondiwindi VIC to participate in improving the operations, as well as future planning of our VIC service. Firstly, congratulations to the volunteers for their hard work and dedication in providing this valuable service to visitors from near and far.

During the meeting there was a lively discussion on reviewing some of the merchandise available in the Goondiwindi VIC. It’s always been at the forefront of decision making that Council’s commitment to offering merchandise sales is focused on opportunities to promote the region and provide visitors with items that generate discussion about the Goondiwindi region for future visitation. Preference is always given to our locally produced items such as local olives, honey, and lavender, along with a small selection of branded souvenirs. We are very fortunate to have a range of options available across the region, not just in the VIC, for visitors and locals alike to take a little piece of the Goondiwindi region home with them.

I was also delighted to hear the volunteers share their first-hand knowledge of the popularity of the Goondiwindi Cotton guided Cotton Tour. This is a fabulous tourism asset to the region and there is strong evidence to support that they are driving increased overnight stays as a result of their excellent reputation. If you haven’t participated in a Goondiwindi Cotton tour, I would encourage you to consider taking your family and friends next time they are in town.

Council also manages Visitor Information Centre services in Texas and Inglewood, and we are seeing strong visitor numbers at both of these locations too.

Texas Show weekend

The Texas Show is on this weekend and promises another year of big crowds, rodeo, entertainment, and exhibits. The collective commitment of the Texas Show Society, the volunteers and the sponsors ensure that both locals and visitors get to experience the best of what Texas has to offer. I want to thank the Show committee for their exceptional work supporting the region and the selfless volunteers that give so much to their community. Their hard work makes the Texas Show a memorable and enjoyable event for everyone. I also encourage the whole region to support the Texas Show this weekend and make it another successful celebration for our area.