TRC to put forward priorities to LGAQ Annual Conference

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has today moved to put forward three important priorities as motions to the 2022 Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Annual Conference being held in October in Cairns.

At today’s Ordinary Meeting of Council, TRC endorsed three motions being put forward to the conference focusing on cyber-security, community health factors when considering land use planning matters and improving regional biosecurity through the provision of appropriate effluent disposal and wash-down facilities for livestock trucks.

Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio said the three motions were strategic items that could benefit local governments right across Queensland.

“The annual LGAQ conference is an opportunity for local governments from across Queensland to form policy positions and advocate to Federal and State Governments for the betterment of the regions we all represent.

“Council today has endorsed three motions for consideration at the 2022 conference that we think will do just that.

“Cyber security is such an important focus for all local governments and TRC’s motion calls on the Federal and State Governments to investigate a shared services model to improve cyber security management in an effort to centralise policy, design and monitoring for emergency response preparedness to protect local government infrastructure.

“The second motion proposed by TRC calls on the State Government to include in the Ministerial ‘Development Assessment Rules’ the topic of public health as a consideration in local governments’ determination of planning applications.

“When considering a land use application for consumable products such as take-away food, Councils across Queensland are currently hamstrung in not being able to consider public interest matters like potential health impacts to the local community and as such can only make decisions or recommendations on normal merit-based planning grounds.

“There are overseas examples where local governments, can for instance, make decisions on matters like a fast-food outlet being located away from community facilities such as schools that are not currently afforded to local governments in Queensland. This motion seeks the State’s approval for local governments to consider matters such as this.

“TRC’s third motion calls on Federal and State Governments to fund and implement appropriate effluent disposal and wash down facilities for livestock trucks to support our agricultural sector and mitigate increasing bio-security risks.

“There is a significant need for these types of facilities right across Queensland with current facilities very limited. With Foot and Mouth Disease right on our doorstep, now is the time for Federal and State Governments to improve these facilities to better protect Queensland’s agricultural sector,” Mayor Antonio said.

The 2022 LGAQ conference will be held from 17-19 October at the Cairns Convention Centre.