From The Mayor's Desk - 5 April 2024

Five Sculptures from the National Collection arrive in Texas

It is a pleasure to welcome the arrival of five bronze sculptures by the late Australian artist Jan Brown to the Texas Regional Art Gallery as part of the Sharing the National Collection program. The sculptures will be on display for the next two years. This initiative offers locals and visitors a unique experience often only available in metropolitan locations. It is excellent to see pieces from the national collection make their way into smaller galleries in regional communities like Texas.

Back to Cement Mills community celebration

The success of the 'Back to Cement Mills' community painting event, where Councillor Susie Kelly and former Councillor Lachlan Brennan celebrated the completion of a collaborative community artwork earlier this month, depicted the rich history of the Gore State School before its relocation and third name change to the Cement Mills State School. The reveal of the final painting comprised of 12 canvases joined together into one large piece of art that preserves the community's heritage and history for future generations. Council was proud to support this community event.

New Councillor team are down to business

At councils first meeting following the election, I was pleased to congratulate all the elected councillors for the 2024-28 term and warmly welcome Councillors Kym Skinner and Julia Spicer OAM to our team. Congratulations to Councillor Rob Mackenzie, who was again elected as the Deputy Mayor.

Over the coming weeks, councillors will participate in comprehensive training which will further enhance our capacity to serve our community. This training will cover various aspects of our roles, including responsibilities, conduct, internal department policies, and legislative requirements. Council is committed to quality leadership and an effective, transparent, and compliant organisation. This process allows all our new and experienced councillors to gain and update necessary knowledge. 

Illegal dumping on the increase

One of the big ongoing challenges for our new Council is the increasingly cavalier disregard for basic tidiness and proper use of the roadside skip bins across the region. Over the Easter break, three large skip bins at the Stanthorpe Road turnoff, 15 minutes outside Inglewood, had atrocious amounts of garbage, like mattresses, camping equipment, and commercial waste products littering the surrounding area. These bins are placed for the convenience of the community, including travellers wishing to dispose of small amounts of personal waste and are not meant to cater for the disposal of commercial waste and large volumes of household waste. This serious problem requires immediate attention and a community wide focus to instil a culture of responsibility and awareness. This behaviour gives a dreadful first impression of our region and it disrespects those that strive to do the right thing.

Inglewood footy teams test out the new lights

This week, the Inglewood football teams took to the field to train under the new lights for the first time. Council was awarded $159,630 under the Queensland Government’s Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund to upgrade the existing lights at the Inglewood MacIntyre Sports Complex oval to enable the community to participate in sports and recreation activities night or day. There are some final touches with the project, including fencing to be installed. Still, it is great to see the facility already in use.

Congratulations to the Hell of the West team

I am incredibly proud to have attended the recent Hell of the West event on behalf of Council. It was the first time ever that it had been held in wet conditions, providing a new experience for all. The committee and hundreds of volunteers who make this event happen are to be congratulated. This event is nationally recognised on the triathlon calendar and attracts high-profile athletes from across the country, with hundreds of competitors along with their support crews. It is an absolute credit to all involved.