From the Mayor’s Desk – 1 February 2022

This past fortnight, I had the pleasure of congratulating the 2022 Australia Day Award winners.  Like many, I reviewed the 2022 Australia Day nominees list and thought that each and every one of them could have been a winner. What an exceptional region we live in to have such wonderful residents that contribute so very much. Congratulations to all who were nominated.

Much of Council’s resources are still focused on flood recovery initiatives, and it’s estimated that in our region there is tens of millions worth of highway repairs required, let alone Council roads. The highway network in the region is the responsibility of the state or federal governments. It is my position that as a region built on a river system prone to flooding, the region’s main road network needs to be engineered and built to a higher standard to withstand these flood events - with the intention of reducing the long-term cost of repairs.  Council is therefore strongly advocating for this outcome at both the state and federal level.

On the impact of floods, if you are a primary producer anywhere in the Goondiwindi Region who has lost fences, pumps, levees, stock or crops, or have incurred other recovery costs in the recent floods, funding assistance of up $50,000 is available. It is worth noting that even if you undertook the clean-up yourself, you can still claim for the fuel used, the new star pickets, the purchase of wire and more. I encourage all impacted primary producers NOT to self-assess based on ‘what you’ve heard on the grapevine’, but to ask questions directly. What’s more, you can make the most of this funding by reinvesting back into the local economy through local shops, businesses and contractors. 

Small businesses that were inundated during the recent flood events may also be eligible for up to $25,000 to assist with the costs of clean-up and the reinstatement of their business.

We are very fortunate that local small businesses and primary producers can access the FREE Rural Financial Counselling Service, which can assist with preparing your application for this funding. Please call 1800 900 090. 

This fortnight, we also welcomed the generous donation of a new vehicle and accessories by Tait Ford and local ARB supplier Diesel Care to the Goondiwindi Region Meditrans service.  Council has collaborated with Darling Downs Health and Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN since 2017 to deliver the Meditrans service. The service transports patients from across our region to Toowoomba to access specialist medical care that cannot be accessed in the Goondiwindi Region. As a testament to the success of this health initiative, the outgoing RAV4 had clocked up nearly 350,000 km over the past four years.

Finally, local Goondiwindi Police have been providing regular updates to the community in regards to youth crime. It is clear that the Queensland Police are active in responding to incidents, and it remains the case that we have a small number of young perpetrators that continue to cause issues in our community. During a recent visit from the Queensland Police and Emergency Services Minister Mr Mark Ryan, I took the opportunity to raise the importance of a permanent 24-hour police station in Goondiwindi. Minister Ryan has committed to discussing this with the Police Commissioner.