Councillors avoid squabble over Quarry Gardens group
Council has created a Bridge Street Quarry Development Advisory Committee. But councillors took time to determine who from council would sit on the committee.
Toowoomba
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A BRIDGE Street Quarry Development Advisory Committee totalling 15 members will be formed to make recommendations to the Toowoomba Regional Council on the creation of a world-class tourist attraction.
The council's economic development committee voted in favour of the establishment of the group and its terms of reference on Wednesday.
The council is pursuing the project and has set aside $3.3 million this financial year to begin the process of turning the former quarry site into the Quarry Gardens.
The committee will consist of Cr Kerry Shine as chair, and an additional four councillors, one from each portfolio other than finance and business, which is Cr Shine's portfolio.
But councillors took time to determine who from council would sit on the committee.
As they workshopped the idea, infrastructure committee chair Cr Carol Taylor suggested portfolio chairs or their delegates take up positions on the committee, which Cr Geoff McDonald agreed with.
"It depends how you've got your portfolios set up, I mean, I haven't got anything much. (Cr Melissa Taylor) has those," she said.
"So it just works out, you could just work it out between yourselves."
Cr Carol Taylor's comments were promptly followed up by infrastructure committee portfolio leader Cr Melissa Taylor saying she was nominating herself to be on the advisory group.
Cr McDonald began to summarise who had nominated when Cr Carol Taylor leaned into the microphone to speak.
"This is a public meeting and that's what I wanted to get away from," she said.
"I actually also wouldn't mind being on that and I think that rather than have that out, we should work that out between ourselves, but I stand to be corrected," she said.
Other members of the committee will include up to four representatives from community groups - one each from the Friends of the Quarry Gardens, Toowoomba Mountain Bike Club, Friends of Escarpment Parks, and Toowoomba Bushwalkers Club, as well as representatives from other industry bodies, one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative, and one resident.