Toowoomba Deputy Mayor Rebecca Vonhoff announces she will seek re-election in 2024

Deputy mayor Rebecca Vonhoff has confirmed she will seek re-election to the Toowoomba Regional Council, joining 18 other confirmed councillor candidates.

Deputy mayor Rebecca Vonhoff has confirmed she will seek re-election to the Toowoomba Regional Council.

Ms Vonhoff was first elected to the council in the last election, after securing the majority of votes.

She said if she is successful at the upcoming March election, water security and natural disaster resilience would be among her top priorities.

“Getting more water for our region is so important and I’ve been able to turn early setbacks into success in 2024,” Ms Vonhoff said.

“We need to capture water when it rains and get ready for drought.

“We need to prepare for disasters. I’ve been successful in making changes to how we backburn, and am grateful for the extraordinary fellow councillors, staff, fire fighters, SES and police who also get it.

“For the first time since 2015 we have a new Disaster Management Plan and have increased our vegetation management.”

Born and raised in Toowoomba, Ms Vonhoff went on to study at the University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland and Freie Universität, Berlin.

For 16 years she work in news media across local, state, national and international publications, as the deputy editor of The Chronicle in Toowoomba, reported for The Australian in Sydney, subedited for The Courier Mail in Brisbane and was deputy foreign editor of The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper while living in Toronto.

Prior to her election to council in 2020 Ms Vonhoff worked for Russell Mineral Equipment in Toowoomba as Communications and Marketing Manager.

She was appointed deputy mayor in July 2023 after the position was vacated by Geoff McDonald when he was elected to the position of Mayor.

Ms Vonhoff said in her announcement on Friday that she had pushed hard to change the culture within the council.

“Council must be transparent and accountable,” she said

“That’s why I’ve never let up asking difficult questions about finances. I’ve said some uncomfortable things.

“No one can say I haven’t shown ticker.

“Over Christmas and the New Year, my family had a good talk about what needs to be done in the four years ahead.

“We decided I’m not done yet. We’re closer to getting more water than we’ve been in 40 years.

“There’s work to do.

“Which is why I’ll be humbly asking for people to support me as I stand again for Councillor in Toowoomba Regional Council.”