The 41-year local government veteran won’t contest the mayor position at the next election

The 41-year local government veteran shut down rumours that his retirement is imminent but stopped short of saying he will see out the rest of his term to 2024.

Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio has confirmed this will be his final stint as mayor, and despite shutting down rumours that his retirement is imminent, he stopped short of saying he will see out the rest of his term to 2024.

The 41-year veteran of local government, who has served as Toowoomba mayor since 2012, told News Corp he would not contest the 2024 election.

It comes as reports swirled across Toowoomba that Mr Antonio would announce his retirement in late April.

The former Millmerran mayor and rural landowner hosed this down, while at the same time leaving himself open to finishing before the end of the term.

Mayor Paul Antonio waits to meet with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk outside city hall in February. . Picture: Kevin Farmer

“(The reports are) absolutely not true, but I will not be standing at the next election,” Mr Antonio said.

“A decision hasn’t been made (about early retirement).”

Should he retire before the full term, the position would need to be filled by another councillor as decided by a resolution in the chamber.

The Local Government Act indicates deputy mayor Geoff McDonald would immediately become acting mayor prior to that resolution being introduced.

Mr Antonio has enjoyed strong voter support at every election since he beat incumbent Peter Taylor more than a decade ago, polling at over 70 per cent at the two most recent elections.

His tenure has seen the Toowoomba region transformed into a major regional economy, which has a gross regional product of more than $11.7bn.

The region has grown by more than 22,000 people during his time as mayor, supporting the growth of a variety of industries like mining, health, education, agriculture and professional services.

Paul Antonio during his time at the Millmerran Shire Council.

Mr Antonio said he was proud of what he had achieved during his four decades in government.

“I have had an outstanding career — I’m not ashamed of my career or its achievements,” he said.

Mr Antonio is known for his passionate advocacy and lobbying abilities at different levels of government in Australia, and has been a vocal supporter of making the region a welcoming place for refugees and migrants.

Among his many positions on various boards, he is currently the deputy of the Council of Mayors South East Queensland (COMSEQ), which started the process of the successful 2032 Brisbane Olympics bid.

Paul Antonio after being elected mayor in 2012. Photo Kevin Farmer / The Chronicle

However Mr Antonio’s career has not been without controversy; he was forced to apologise in 2018 for engaging in misconduct over his dealings with the Inland Rail.

The apology related to Mr Antonio commissioning an alternate route for the project in 2016, which would run it near a basalt quarry he owned.

The local government review panel determined he’d engaged in three acts of misconduct, including the creation of the map, failing to disclose this to his colleagues when voting on the Inland Rail and his responses during a 2017 ABC interview.