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Graeme Scheu, Mayor of Goondiwindi
MAYORAL MESSAGE
It’s so rewarding to see the hard work, dedication and vision of an entire community recognised. That’s exactly what happened here in Goondiwindi earlier this year when we were named the best country town in Queensland. The town was the cover star of the Weekend Australian and led a feature in which Bernard Salt, Australia’s leading demographer, ran the data and revealed the most liveable towns in each state and territory. Goondiwindi was named as Queensland’s pride and joy. This is, of course, old news to me. I’ll admit I may be biased, but to have an expert like Bernard Salt crunch the numbers and put it down on paper – well, you can’t argue with that. To be recognised alongside towns like Margaret River in WA and Katherine in the NT is a real honour. So what makes Goondiwindi - a town of just 6,000 people - so successful? From a council point of view, it has long been the belief of the Goondiwindi Regional Council that the best avenue for economic development in a regional area is to ensure the provision of excellent regional services. Having the necessary infrastructures in place
capitalises on our rich farming country and ensures a lifestyle that makes our district a very desirable place to live and work. As such, Goondiwindi is emerging as a vibrant regional hub. But the key to our region’s success goes beyond that: it’s the hard work, attitude and optimism of our community. This is not something that just happens in a few years under one certain council. It’s in the dedication of our volunteers, the can-do attitude of our businesses and the passion of our service groups and sporting clubs that create such a wonderful social atmosphere in the region. Take, for example, the recent IPEWA SWQ Branch Conference hosted by the Goondiwindi Regional Council. The two-day conference brought together 140 people and was one of IPEWA’s
most successful regional events. But what’s more, we were able to raise an unprecedented $5,420 for MS Queensland through raffles, donations and a remarkable charity auction sponsored by local business SMK Consultants Pty Ltd. The participation and generosity of our community really shone through and the auction’s main prize – a framed picture of our mighty Macintyre River – was proudly bought by Sean Rice of Proterra Group, a local familyowned business. So, that’s where the Goondiwindi region is now: we’re proud to be known as regional Australia at its best. So where do we go from here? I believe there are four major requirements for regional areas like Goondiwindi to continue to grow:
The inland rail will move freight between Melbourne and Brisbane.
Engineering for Public Works | June 2018
