Toowoomba Regional Council endorses new Bridge St Quarry advisory committee

THE members have been set for a key committee that will advise the Toowoomba Regional Council on the future of the highly-anticipated Bridge St Quarry Gardens project.

The Bridge Street quarry.

Councillors voted yesterday to endorse the representatives of the Bridge St Quarry development advisory committee, which will feature members from the council as well as representatives of key tourism, business, community groups.

A nearby Bridge St resident, Sue Collins, has also been selected to join the committee.

Mayor Paul Antonio said he was excited to see progress on the project, which has been discussed across the community for decades.

“It’s great to see progress, and as things move forward, there will be so many opportunities for people to get involved,” he said.

“We’ll get some good ideas out of the advisory body and the community will have their say.”

The councillors amended the original motion to allow groups represented on the committee to have proxies, meaning they can still be counted at a meeting even if their nominated participant is unavailable.

The only designated position yet to be determined is a representative from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee, since the council still has to vote on the membership of that body.

Cr Antonio said he hoped to see meetings started within months.

COMMITTEE: Cr Kerry Shine (chair), up to four extra councillors, Sarah Delahunty (Friends of Quarry Gardens), David Warner (Toowoomba Mountain Bike Cub), Rob Brodribb (Friends of Escarpment Parks), Ian Ryan (Toowoomba Bushwalkers Club), Peter Homan (Southern Queensland Country Tourism CEO), Todd Rohl (Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO), Sue Collins (Bridge St resident), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory committee representative, up to five council officers, up to three external third parties with expertise.