Seniors network and Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce share their thoughts on region’s future

Toowoomba’s seniors command some powerful political clout when it comes to issues. Here’s what they had to say at a recent presentation from the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce.

Understanding the lessons and learnings of the past will pave the way for a more informed and better future.

The National Seniors’ network is one way to tap into their understanding not only of the lessons and learnings of the past, but of the things we have lost and gained as a community, the current challenges and opportunities from their perspective and how they see the future.

National Seniors Australia describes themselves as a not-for-profit membership organisation which gives older Australians – working and retired – a voice.

They tackle a range of issues such as age discrimination, mature age employment, the age pension, social inclusion and cost of living concerns.

At the last census, the idcommunity profile identified that this group represented 9.9% of Toowoomba residents and growing.

Now, that gives seniors serious political capital.

As such, ignoring their valuable knowledge, contributions to day-to-day life and business, if through nothing else than life experience, would be ill advised.

I had the recent great honour to present to the National Seniors Toowoomba branch.

With 1000s of years’ experience in the room, it was daunting, but exhilarating. The 90-odd people in the room, share a great passion and love for Toowoomba, which of course, does not come as a great surprise.

But these were the types of questions (there was many more), which came out of the discussions:

■ Can you fix up the carparking debacle in the Toowoomba CBD once and for all, it has been going on for decades?

■ Can we reconnect the regions towns to Toowoomba through rail?

■ Part of Russell Street was affectionately known as Little Russell Street; can that become its permanent name?

■ Do you know when the vaccines are rolling out in Toowoomba?

■ Why can’t we just have a swipe card, like the Sports Club, instead of filling in QR codes at every location?

We laughed about the Toowoomba Chamber’s reboot of the Carnival in the CBD, which of course, many remembered so fondly, walking the streets of the CBD viewing the shop front displays.

We shared the wonderful agricultural history of the region, Queensland’s food bowl, including moving cattle to the current Toowoomba Hospital site.

We chatted about bringing in the Australia Card and much, much more.

So, thank you President Desma Lindenbaur of the Toowoomba National Seniors for the invitation, the sisters I sat next to (you know who you are) for your engaging conversation and all who attended.

It was enlightening and I treasured it.