From the Mayor’s Desk – 27 October 2026

Published on 27 October 2026

Rain across region – Council requests urgent action from BoM on river gauges

It has been wonderful to see much-needed and widespread rainfall across our region and beyond this week. While some local producers were able to complete their harvest before the weather arrived, this was not the case for everyone, and we look forward to getting back into the paddocks as soon as possible.

At the time of writing, Coolmunda Dam has already exceeded 100 per cent capacity, following a period of steady inflows and a significant rise after the most recent rainfall. While this rainfall event has thankfully not resulted in major flooding, it has highlighted a significant concern that must be addressed before the next major weather event.

Over the weekend, a number of Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) river gauges across the catchment experienced outages or reporting issues. For many residents, landholders and emergency services, these gauges provide the most important source of real-time information about river rises and floodwater moving downstream.

We were fortunate that the gauge failures occurred during a moderate rainfall event rather than a major flood. However, the reliability of this network is critical, particularly in regional communities that have experienced flooding in the past. Council has urgently raised these concerns with the BoM and is calling for the issues identified during this rainfall event to be investigated and rectified as a priority.

Local businesses work together for proactive solution to workforce shortages

It was a pleasure to welcome a delegation from Kiribati to our region this fortnight, including the country's Minister for Human Resources.

The visit follows an earlier Goondiwindi Region business delegation to Kiribati to explore workforce opportunities through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme. It’s encouraging to see those discussions progressing, with the first PALM Scheme participants expected to commence employment with Woods Group in the coming weeks.

This is just such a great example of local businesses working together to actively seek solutions after exhausting many domestic options for recruitment. Rather than waiting for workforce shortages to resolve themselves, employers across our region have invested time and effort into exploring new pathways to attract and retain staff.

For many regional businesses, finding and retaining workers remains one of the greatest challenges to growth. The PALM Scheme offers a practical, longer-term workforce solution (allowing eligible workers to remain in Australia for up to four years), providing businesses with greater workforce stability and reduced staff turnover while creating opportunities for workers and their families.

We know many businesses across our region are watching this first intake with interest and are keen to see how the program operates in practice. While Woods Group will be the first local employer to welcome workers through this initiative, other businesses including Blask Engineering, Goondiwindi Engineering and the Royal Hotel in Inglewood have also expressed interest in future opportunities should additional workers become available.

Importantly, this is not a new concept for our region. Businesses across regional Australia, including our region, already employ many Pacific Island workers who make a valuable contribution to our economy and communities. From agriculture to aged care, these workers help keep essential industries operating and growing.

The people of Kiribati have a strong connection with Australia and have earned a reputation as hardworking, reliable and loyal employees. By supporting these employment pathways, we are not only helping local businesses address workforce shortages but also creating opportunities that support the economic aspirations of Pacific communities.

Council is pleased to support initiatives that strengthen our regional workforce and help to attract and retain dependable, long-term employees so businesses can continue investing, growing and contributing to our region's prosperity.

Council maintains strong financial standing, says Queensland Audit Office

Council CEO Carl Manton and I met with representatives from the Queensland Audit Office in Goondiwindi this fortnight as part of Council's annual financial audit process.

It was pleasing to hear positive feedback regarding Council's financial management, with our Council being amongst the most financially sustainable in Queensland, with no debt and continuing to meet high independent audit requirements.

Careful stewardship of ratepayer funds and maintaining a financially sustainable organisation, is key to ensuring Council continues to deliver quality services and infrastructure for our communities into the future.

Recognising excellence at Goondiwindi State High School

It was a pleasure to attend the Goondiwindi State High School Awards Night last Tuesday and celebrate the outstanding achievements of local students alongside their families, teachers and school staff.

These annual awards provide an opportunity to recognise not only academic success, but also the dedication, leadership, service and perseverance demonstrated by students across a wide range of pursuits - from sports to arts and community service.

Congratulations to all students recognised throughout the night. Your achievements should make you, your families and your teachers incredibly proud.

I would also like to acknowledge the teachers, school staff and families whose support plays such an important role in helping our young people succeed. The evening showcased the depth of talent within our community and served as a reminder of the important role our schools play in developing future leaders and helping students pursue their goals and aspirations.

Levee Restoration Project updates at Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast

It was encouraging to see such a strong turnout at the Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast last week, where local businesses and community members heard directly from the Georgiou Brady Joint Venture team about progress on the Goondiwindi Levee Restoration Project.

I will provide a more detailed update on the project and key takeaways from the briefing in my next column. In the meantime, congratulations and thank you to the Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce and everyone involved in organising the event, as well as the many community members and local businesses who took the time to attend.