Cr Belot responds to public backlash on social media

A Central Qld mayor has made a decision on a controversial motion to re-engage a consultant at a cost of more than $250,000, without advertising for the six-month role.

Keppel MP Nigel Hutton, Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, Livingstone Mayor Adam Belot and consultant Graham Scott look over plans for the East West Connector.

Livingstone Shire Council Mayor Adam Belot has withdrawn a controversial motion at a Tuesday council meeting to re-engage a strategic consultant Graham Scott at a cost of more than $250,000 without advertising the six-month role, following a negative response to the move on social media.

“I have the determination that I will not be proceeding with the motion today and will be withdrawing at this juncture of time on the basis I am comfortable and optimistic that tomorrow the sun will come up and so too will the confidence in the performance of this council,” he said.

Cr Belot’s decision flowed from a very lopsided public debate and vote on a Facebook page where Cr Rhodes Watson had issued a survey, asking if people supported the mayor’s proposal “to spend more than $250k to engage a consultant for another 6 months to provide ‘economic development, engineering services & strategic planning’ advice when council has approved a restructure providing these services internally’.”

The FB survey vote outcome came to 917 no and 64 yes.

Cr Rhodes Watson, Livingstone Shire Council.

The withdrawn motion had included council being satisfied there “is only one supplier reasonably available to it for the provision of strategic development consultancy service due to the unique combination of professional expertise and local background knowledge sought and that it would be disadvantageous to invite quotes and tenders”.

Mr Scott is a former Livingstone Shire Council deputy mayor and has been twice previously engaged as a consultant under different LSC CEOs.

Earlier in the day, Cr Belot had provided an extended Facebook response to the social media backlash and questions, thanking people for being engaged in council’s process and decisions.

“The process to appoint GSA Zilzie Pty Ltd (Graham Scott) on two previous occasions and proposed again, is legal,” he said.

“You may not like to accept this, yet it is fact. You may not like the decision, yet the process is supported by both the Department of Local Government and an experienced Legal Firm. You may not agree with both entities yet that is fact. This is acknowledged in written documentation by the Department of Local Government stating to Council in email (11/07/2025) that the decision of Council already acted upon on two previous occasion, and the proposed motion put forward by Mayor to appoint a consultant is suitable.

“Importantly on two previous occasions under the guidance of Cale Dendle and Alastair Dawson, both highly respected Local Government CEO’s, Council followed the same process proposed for this current Notice of Motion to appoint a consultant to do a particular job. The reason it is within the Local Government rules is under section 235 Local Government Regulation 2012.”

Cr Belot said those decisions were justified due to the “huge challenges” facing council in many areas due to “understaffing, overworked staff, massive growth challenges etc.”

“A solution was needed and Mr Scott, who is a unique professional with “ specialised skills” was engaged to assist with these multiple challenges.”

Cr Belot said Mr Scott had played critical roles in fast-tracking a strong submission for a $25m state government grant to build the East West Connector trunk road link to open up new housing estates.

Livingstone Shire Council Cr Andrea Friend, Cr Rhodes Watson, Cr Lance Warcon and Mayor Adam Belot have praised the Queensland Government’s approval of a new Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) to unlock growth in key areas across the region.

“If Council is able to get the East West Road/ Housing Activation Grant of $25 Million dollars, then our investment in Mr Scott and the staff who were resourced by councillors to put together a very strong submission, will pay massive dividends for ratepayers into the future. 1500 houses over 10 years will potentially mean Council should end up $38 million in front and collecting 7.5 $million per year on much needed rates.”

Cr Belot said there was potential for council to collect $51m in infrastructure charges from each lot created, receive $25m for trunk roads while council spent $13 million on trunk water and sewer.

He also credited Mr Scott and his team for:

• Gateway stage 4 layout resolved, plans completed, construction underway (jobs jobs jobs)
• new Depot site is confirmed at Gateway stage 5.
• Homemaker Stage 2 expression of interest is completed and who knows what jobs and investment will come.
• a solution to the Housing crisis was found via the approval of rural land at The Pines, west Kinka and Emu Park west to residential land and instead of taking 2-3 years to go through red tape planning scheme amendments, was approved in 30 days. Means we can grow our rate base and keep rate rises lower and our kids might be able to afford to live here.
• All planning appeals that were tied up costing us loads of Ratepayers money are resolved (with 1 of them ending up 5 million better than could have been)

Cr Belot’s Facebook lengthy response did little to satisfy about 40 respondents with many of them questioning the cost of the consultant and not going to tender.

During the same meeting, Livingstone Shire Council CEO Terry Dodds announced his resignation, saying it was “time to move on”.

Originally published as Cr Belot responds to public backlash on social media