From the Mayor's Desk 25 August

Out and About in the Region

On Saturday evening, Councillor Brennan and I attended the Goondiwindi Kindy Dinner where more than 100 guests did an excellent job in raising funds for the Goondiwindi Kindergarten. Our state member, James Lister MP also attended the event. The centre provides placements for 50 local children and offers a play-based program to improve physical, social, intellectual, language and emotional abilities of children. Council provides funding to the Kindy for this event, that then goes towards supporting and improving their activities and facility. The Kindy committee put in a lot of effort and made the evening very memorable. Well done to all involved. Blue Care celebrated their milestone 70th birthday with five decades of service to our region and 10 years’ in their current facility with the Blue Care Sunday Church service on Sunday and a morning tea. I wanted to express my wholehearted gratitude for the unwavering service to members in our community, assisting families and carers with respite and transport among other essential services and programs. It was a pleasure to attend the annual Inglewood Lion’s Club changeover lunch on Sunday afternoon. The Club welcomed back Erin Fleming for her third year as president, and two new members to the ranks. Goondiwindi, Stanthorpe, Texas, and Millmerran Lions were also in attendance at the changeover. I’d like to thank and congratulate our local Lion’s Club in Inglewood for all that they do for the community - they’re one of our outstanding local service clubs across the region who are committed to advancing our community, whether through countless volunteer hours or support of good causes.

Vietnam Veteran Day Service

On Friday 18 August, Cr O’Shea and I attended the Vietnam Veterans' Day service at the Goondiwindi Cenotaph in the Town Park. This commemoration marks the 50th anniversary, ending Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war in 1973, and the Battle of Long Tan. The morning event, held at 11 am, was organised by the Goondiwindi RSL Sub-Branch, with many local residents and families in attendance to pay their respects and remember the sacrifices of those who passed away, and those who came home.

Medical Student Lunch

I was happy to welcome the first University of Queensland (UQ) rural immersion of medical students last week. I greeted 20 first-year students at the Goondiwindi Town Park on Thursday, and after lunch, they divided into two groups: one explored the Goondiwindi Region, while the other travelled to St George. Over the four-day immersion, the students experienced rural life. They stayed with local families, visited Goondiwindi Hospital, the Medical Centre, and St Mary’s School to meet local professionals and get to know the community. The 10 students also participated in a cultural tour to Boggabilla and Toomelah where they attended Toomelah school. This experience provided the medical students with a comprehensive understanding of health and community in the region. Hopefully the positive experience will see some of them choose our Region and return as future doctors.

Inglewood Council Meeting

At the beginning of this Council’s tenure, we committed to holding an Ordinary Meeting in Inglewood and Texas on rotation for the duration of the four-year-term. This week we held the fourth scheduled Ordinary Meeting at Inglewood. It was great to have more than 40 students from St Maria Goretti School and the Inglewood State School attend. The students, community members and Councillors enjoyed morning tea together after the meeting and I was able to talk to the students about their aspirations for the future and what they thought of how the meeting was conducted. It was a pleasure having students from both schools and other members of the community in attendance. Next month, Council heads to Talwood for its first-ever Council meeting in the community, another example of how your Council considers itself a council for communities.