Qld election: Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald calls on LNP, David Janetzki to reward region’s loyalty over dam funding

With the LNP in the box seat at Saturday’s election, Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald says it’s time the region reaped rewards for its “loyalty” to the party at the ballot box.

Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald has called on a potential LNP state government featuring David Janetzki as treasurer to reward the “loyalty” the region’s voters have placed in the party at successive elections for decades by unlocking millions in funding.

The city’s three LNP state representatives, Mr Janetzki (Toowoomba South), Trevor Watts (Toowoomba North) and Pat Weir (Condamine), are all expected to be re-elected in their safe seats when voters head to the polls on Saturday.

While the race between a nine-year Labor government and a deliberately small target-focused opposition appears to have tightened, the David Crisafulli-led LNP is still on track to return to power for the first time since 2015.

This would hand Mr Janetzki the keys to the state’s coffers as treasurer — something that was not lost on Mr McDonald, who has reportedly had robust and even heated discussions with his state representative over funding.

The mayor said the Toowoomba Regional Council’s planned $270m upgrade of the Cressbrook Dam, which needs to be completed in 12 months, would impact the region’s ratepayers dramatically if external support wasn’t secured.

“Loyalty is a big thing for us here, because after the election, if the LNP is the next government, loyalty should play a big role in what happens to the regions where they’ve been elected into for so long,” Mr McDonald said, referring to the 22 wins out of 27 races across the three seats the party has won dating back to 1992.

However, Mr McDonald said he believed the project deserved state support on the basis of need as well.

“I would hope that it’s more on need than it is loyalty, and if you argued on both of those, then this should get there,” he said.

“I’m always of a belief that decisions for elected members to make should be on need, not on political expediency, so let’s make decisions on need.

“I’d love the LNP to come out and say ‘the work that Toowoomba Regional council has done over the last 12 to 18 months has been listened to and we will commit to making sure that we support them wherever we possibly can’.

“If we get that commitment from others, no dollars attached to it … that would be a great announcement.”

In response to the charge of rewarding loyalty, Mr Janetzki said the LNP would support the Toowoomba region with funding while also urging the TRC to consider pulling out of the Council of Mayors Southeast Queensland (CoMSEQ).

“I’m a regional Queenslander to the boot straps and want to see the South West flourish,” he said.

“This is one of the main reasons why we should go it alone, leave the South East Queensland Council of Mayors, and provide leadership to our southwest region and the communities beyond.

“I will keep working to ensure our region is supported by the state government.”

Originally published as Qld election: Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald calls on LNP, David Janetzki to reward region’s loyalty over dam funding