Our say: Toowoomba region risks unopposed mayoral election as Geoff McDonald only nominee so far

Geoff McDonald might well be the right person to lead our region, but he should have to prove it to ratepayers and residents during a contested election - something we don’t have right now.

If Geoff McDonald is indeed the only name on the ballot for the Toowoomba mayor on March 16, it puts our whole region to shame.

This is not an attack on Mr McDonald — whatever your opinions on him, he has shown himself to be a competent local government figure who does care deeply about the Toowoomba region.

As he told me in a recent interview in relation to his pay: “if you’re in council for the money, you might have to rethink your priorities a bit”.

While it’s not uncommon to see unopposed mayoral elections in smaller Queensland councils, we are certainly not that.

Incumbent TRC Mayor Geoff McDonald announces he will stand for the position in the upcoming local government election, Monday, January 29, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Toowoomba and the surrounding communities that make up the region are one of the powerhouses of the Queensland economy — our gross regional product is now over $11bn and we are a population of nearly 180,000 people.

We are the health hub for the entire southwest Queensland, one of the state’s education capitals and a breeding ground for a huge selection of innovative industries like advanced manufacturing, energy and logistics.

The region also faces extraordinary challenges, from skills shortages to housing crises, water security and growing cost-of-living pressures.

The council itself, a $5bn organisation with 1800 employees, is rife with labour shortages, reduced external funding, workplace culture problems and the looming $270m upgrade of Cressbrook Dam that threatens to push rates up further and delay other long-awaited projects.

It makes the role of Toowoomba mayor that much more important — it will require someone with patience, compassion, strong negotiating and lobbying skills, a clear vision for our region’s future.

Geoff McDonald might well be that person, but he should have to prove it to ratepayers during an election with the chance that failing to could see him out of a job.

He should have to go to forums and debates, put up signs and ads with that risk hanging over his head like all politicians do.

But right now Mr McDonald doesn’t need to do that, despite the fact he’s had just six months experience in the role.

Down in the Lockyer Valley, even popular mayor Tanya Milligan (who ran unopposed in 2020) has two challengers.

We may well see a candidate pop up, but if they are it will need to happen before nominations close on February 13.

Until then, Geoff McDonald will be handed the reins of our region for a full term unopposed — and I think that’s bad for our democracy.