From the Mayor's Desk - 8 July 2025

Published on 08 July 2025

2025-26 Budget highlight: tackling water, sewerage and waste

Council adopted its 2025-2026 Budget at the June Ordinary Meeting this past fortnight, and I’d like to spend a bit of time in upcoming columns to highlight some of the key features of this budget – beginning with water, sewerage and waste.

This year, Council will invest $17.8 million in water and sewerage infrastructure and service delivery, with $9.85 million allocated to capital works across Goondiwindi, Inglewood, Talwood, Texas and Yelarbon.

A key focus is the multi-year $4 million project for Texas sewerage infrastructure improvements, with approximately $1 million allocated for this financial year. The Texas sewerage project is Council’s most significant sewerage investment to date; other projects include $450,000 for improvements at the Talwood Water Treatment Plant and $350,000 for Stage 1 of the McLean Street water main renewal.

Waste management costs continue to rise, with this year’s costs surging to approximately $4 million. To manage these pressures, Council is investing in improving efficiency while reducing illegal dumping costs: investments include $28,000 for surveillance at rural transfer stations, $100,000 to limit accessibility to local use at the Yelarbon transfer station (to reduce illegal dumping), and $75,000 to expand capacity and better manage waste at the Inglewood Waste Facility.

By continuing to improve waste habits, residents can play their part in keeping costs down - but Council is also actively advocating to the state government for changes to their current one-size-fits-all waste regulations that are simply too costly for regional areas.

All eyes on the skies at the Festival of Aeromodelling in Inglewood

All this week, the Festival of Aeromodelling is underway at Inglewood hosted by Australian Large Scale Models (ALSM). Now in its fourth year, this nine-day event is Australia’s largest fun fly, attracting over 200 pilots, including international guests, and their families. Since its launch in Inglewood four years ago, the ALSM’s events continue to draw hundreds of visitors, providing a significant boost to local Inglewood hospitality businesses and associated services. It's fantastic to see the festival growing into a key fixture on the calendar for both Inglewood and the Australian aeromodelling community.

Council signed an MOU with ALSM in 2023 to guide future improvements to the Inglewood Aerodrome. ALSM aims to invest in improving the aerodrome facilities, supporting the site to become a long-term hub for aeromodelling events.

Don’t miss the festival’s highlight - the main airshow is open to the public on Saturday 12 July 2025, from 11am -12:30pm at Inglewood Aerodrome. Featuring thrilling aerobatic displays, vintage flyers and cutting-edge designs, and world-class pilots, you’ll see it all soaring through the skies in a high-energy aerial display.

Master Plans provide strategic vision for Weengallon Rec Grounds, Botanic Gardens

Also at its June Ordinary Meeting, Council adopted the Weengallon Recreation Grounds and Goondiwindi Botanic Gardens Master Plans - two strategic documents developed in partnership with their respective local community groups to guide long-term upgrades to these valued facilities. The plans outline future infrastructure needs and potential uses, enabling Council and community groups to strategically plan for and pursue funding opportunities. Council’s endorsement of these plans provides in-principle support, allowing community groups to move forward with confidence.

Council’s primary focus has to remain on maintenance and keeping existing facilities functional into the future. But Master Plans, developed in partnership with local community groups, help both parties to identify improvement priorities, assess long-term costs, and explore external funding opportunities before committing any ratepayer funds. With many community groups experiencing annual committee turnover, these Master Plans offer a clear, long-term vision that puts everyone on the same page and working towards the same goals.

The Weengallon Recreation Grounds Master Plan proposes upgrades including a new amenities block, a multi-use shed with office and canteen, and reinstated tennis court lighting. These works aim to enhance functionality both for the Weengallon Rodeo and Campdraft, as well as everyday use.

Meanwhile, the Botanic Gardens Master Plan outlines staged improvements to enhance sustainability, accessibility, and the visitor experience. Priorities include urgent needs like BBQ shelter roof repairs, new fencing and signage updates, with future stages focusing on maintenance and restoration of existing assets as well as native plantings, improved paths, and new features such as bird hides. These upgrades will ensure the Gardens continue to flourish as a much-loved community space and regional attraction.

Congratulations to Dr Charles Mudimu for recognition of meritorious service

We’re fortunate to have many exceptional doctors in our region, and it was wonderful to see Dr Charles Mudimu recognised with the RDAQ (Rural Doctors Association of Queensland) Meritorious Service Award over the previous weekend. This prestigious award is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to rural medicine, whether through direct patient care, advocacy, policy, or support of rural medical professionals. I think we can all agree how fortunate our region is to benefit from Dr Mudimu’s dedication to providing quality healthcare, and this recognition is incredibly well deserved.

It's especially meaningful to see this recognition as a full-circle moment from an organisation with strong local roots – the RDAQ was co-founded in 1989 by one of our own, Dr Col Owen from Inglewood, who also served as its inaugural president. Dr Owen has dedicated more than 55 years of service to the Inglewood community, and it’s fantastic to see the legacy of compassionate, committed rural medicine carried forward by doctors like Dr Mudimu.

Congratulations, Dr Charles - the entire community is proud of your achievement.

Celebrating our service clubs: a time to thank community volunteers

It’s a time of transition for many of our local service clubs with the annual changeover season underway, and I had the pleasure of attending both the Goondiwindi Rotary and Lions changeovers recently. Congratulations to Alan Rae, the new Goondiwindi Rotary President, and Lynn Smith, the incoming Lions President.

I’m also looking forward to the upcoming Apex Goondiwindi and Inglewood Lions events. These occasions are a great opportunity for the broader community to recognise and thank our incredible service clubs for the volunteering they do - from the important causes they support and the funds they raise, to the many community events they organise or assist with, their contributions are invaluable.

Inglewood residents help to mitigate water turbidity issue

This past fortnight, Council asked Inglewood residents to help conserve water following turbidity issues caused by rainfall in the upper Canning Creek catchment. Thank you to everyone who responded by reducing their water use - it made a real difference and significantly helped mitigate the issue until water quality improved. Special thanks are also due to Council's water team for their prompt efforts in managing the issue and minimising the impact on the community.

I want to reassure Inglewood town residents that regular testing of the water quality is ongoing, with no evidence of bacteria in the water tests undertaken at the Inglewood water treatment plant when the issue was addressed. Queensland Health assisted in monitoring the situation and continues to be supportive of Council's response.

Goondiwindi Streetscape project – timeline update

Along with some of my fellow councillors, I recently met with the Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce to provide an update on the progress of the Goondiwindi Streetscape Project. It was a valuable opportunity to bring the Chamber up to speed on how the design process is unfolding and to seek their input on behalf of their members before any further refinements are made. A more advanced concept design is anticipated in the next month or so, which will then be released for full community consultation – updates to follow.