From the Mayor’s Desk - 25 May 2022

Inglewood flood preparation and Resilient Homes Fund

Last week I was pleased to attend an Inglewood Local Emergency Co-Ordination Committee meeting in Inglewood to discuss future flood preparations, including a review of flood evacuation triggers for the town. This group is also working with relevant state government agencies on a plan to allow more Inglewood residents to shelter in their own homes during a flood event.

Discussion also centred on the new Evacuation Assembly Point at the Inglewood Waste Facility, to ensure the site is fit for purpose. This alternative site has been established following community feedback about the Inglewood Cemetery site during the November-December 2021 flood event, and includes all-weather access, with plenty of parking room for primary vehicles and the installation of amenities suitable for purpose at an Assembly Point.

I’d like to encourage all flood-affected residents to register for the newly-opened Resilient Homes Fund, delivered through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). Residents in the Goondiwindi Regional Council area whose homes were damaged by floods in the 2021–22 disaster season can now register to access grants to raise, repair, retrofit or have their home voluntarily bought back. As a flood-prone region, we can’t prevent floods from happening - but we can take steps to better prepare our properties and reduce the impact of future flood events. For more information, visit qld.gov.au/resilienthomes

Inglewood aged care update

The Inglewood Aged Care Committee met last Tuesday. Consultants have been on-site to draft architectural design plans to convert the facility into independent or assisted living units. These plans will be tabled at the next meeting, and are expected to include a substantial cost estimate, which the committee will then use to source the required funding.

The committee has resolved to establish a small group of prospective residents who will review the proposed designs and provide feedback before final designs are accepted. I will continue to provide updates as they occur.

Community updates

On Monday this week, my fellow Councillors and I were honoured to welcome the Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young PSM, to the Goondiwindi Region. Following her prior role as the Chief Health Officer of Queensland, the Governor was eager to visit both the Inglewood and Texas Hospitals, as well as the Texas State School. It was a privilege to welcome her to the region to meet with local businesses, emergency services and community groups in Inglewood and Texas, and Her Excellency has undertaken to return to the Goondiwindi Region on a similar visit to Goondiwindi soon. I also took the opportunity to show Her Excellency the new Inglewood Evacuation Assembly Point.

I had the pleasure recently of speaking with more than 40 visiting Probus Club members from the Granite Belt region. The visitors were all very impressed with the Goondiwindi Region, and I was able to give them an enthusiastic overview of the many opportunities and developments currently within the Goondiwindi Region – I’m so proud to be able to share this message with the community at large.

Finally, I’d like to give a very warm welcome to the four residents who took the pledge to become Australian citizens during a special citizenship ceremony in the Council Chambers last Wednesday [18 May]. It’s always an honour to officially welcome our new citizens, and it’s wonderful to see our region grow. We welcome new community members from all different walks of life and it’s fantastic to see so many choose the Goondiwindi Region as their home.