Groom MP Garth Hamilton, State MPs Trevor Watts and David Janetzki, and Mayor Geoff McDonald plan collaboration meeting

The region’s three tiers of government representatives have all vowed to improve coordination towards funding, advocacy and the regional growth following an explosive council investigation.

Toowoomba Mayor Geoff McDonald has vowed to attend quarterly action plan meetings with the region’s fellow State and Federal politicians following an explosive investigation that revealed a dismal culture in parts of the council. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Three levels of government representatives in Toowoomba have pledged to hold quarterly meetings in a new plan to unify their voice for advocacy, funding and action.

The city’s Federal MP Garth Hamilton and State MPs David Janetzki and Trevor Watts along with Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald have all vowed to improve coordination towards funding, advocacy and the region’s growth with a formalised quarterly meeting.

Calls for more collaboration between the three levels of government was sparked by The Chronicle’s investigation on Saturday which revealed widespread dissatisfaction among State and Federal MPs, the business community and the region’s influential stakeholders towards Toowoomba Regional Council.

Member for Groom, Garth Hamilton said he will facilitate meetings between the three tiers of government. Picture: Nev Madsen.

On Sunday, Mr Hamilton said he would take up The Chronicle’s call for collaboration between the city’s politicians and would commit to quarterly meetings to set actionable plans and visions for the region’s future.

He said this is an opportunity for them to “streamline those problems and be more aware of grant and funding opportunities and the support that can be given across the various levels of government”.

“All levels of government have expressed a desire to see the Railway Parklands Precinct go ahead and if a more formalized structure can help that, then that’d be a great thing,” Mr Hamilton said.

News of such meetings were immediately welcomed by both State member for Toowoomba North Trevor Watts and State member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki and each expressed hope for the things they could achieve together in the future.

Mr Watts said he saw tremendous opportunity in the meetings as a chance to get clarity over projects, understand the roadblocks, and how to problem solve them together.

Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts said he saw tremendous opportunity in the action meetings.

“If we pull on the same end of the rope and we’ve got one vision, and it’s the vision people want, it’s very powerful and we can deliver,” he said.

During his 14 years serving in the mid-tier of government, he said he had seen many missed opportunities to work together as a unified front.

Apart from the ongoing saga of the Railway Parklands, in particular was the missed chance to get Toowoomba on the map as a mountain bike trail destination and a potential Olympic venue for the sport.

“And they (council) come back with a plan that goes through Redwood Park which is particularly environmentally sensitive and stupid to put in the plan, and then absolutely nothing happens,” he said.

“Nobody’s on the same page, the mountain bike guys are annoyed, the environmentalists are annoyed and everybody’s going well, ‘What happened?’”

Mr Watts said a quarterly meeting would help with knowing what projects to pinpoint and secure funding for as well as provide support to see them completed.

“There is a need to strategically align levels of government and I would welcome the opportunity to engage more deeply with key regional political, business and community decision makers,” Mr Janetzki said.

Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki said the city should be a figurehead for the region.

The city should be a “figurehead” for the region and the surrounding communities which “rely on us for their health, education, and professional services like accountancy, engineering , technology and legal”, he said.

Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Geoff McDonald said council often meets with the federal and state MPs on an individual basis “more regularly than quarterly and when they are available”.

“I’m very conscious of the workload of the federal and state government members and the last thing that I want to do is to get in the road with the job that they’re doing in Brisbane and Canberra,” he said.

“Ideally, if we can catch up quarterly, terrific,” he said.

“What’s more important is the lines of communication are always open and continue to be.”

Toowoomba Mayor Geoff McDonald said it would be ideal to meet quarterly and communication should remain open.