Retiring CEO defends Council's Record 10th March 2008: Retiring Jondaryan Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, Noel Cass, has taken exception to comments on the financial performance of the Council by Cr. Ian Jones, one of the candidates for Mayor of the Toowoomba Regional Council. Mr Cass claims Mr Jones has used his comments entirely out of context, selectively misquoting and reversing their meaning and intention. "In the past twenty years Jondaryan Shire has been the most progressive and best managed Council in this Region” Mr Cass said, “it has the best cared for and most productive workforce and is the preferred employer in this region. In relative terms Jondaryan has the highest capital expenditure of any Council in the region". Read more...

Mayor's Farewell Message 10th March 2008: Local Government is has come to and end in Jondaryan, being forcibly replaced by Regional Government, imposed by the Queensland Government. Over the last 128 years the role of local government has expanded greatly over the last century from a focus on roads and weeds to much more involvement in sporting, recreational, tourism, cultural and social issues. Nonetheless the majority of resources still go into road construction and maintenance, water supply, sewerage services, and rubbish removal. Jondaryan Shire Council has served its community extremely well in all these aspects over its long history. Its work has been aided by a very stable workforce and leadership team. Council has a history of good financial management and I believe good value to our ratepayers for their rates. My hope and current effort is to ensure that the philosophy and practice of service to the community by local government can carry on in a larger scale in the new Toowoomba Regional Council. Read more...

CEO’s Farewell Message 10th March 2008: My father, a Shire Clerk, gave good advice on my appointment as Shire Clerk of Bedourie in 1974 – “Your task is ringmaster of a three-ring circus – the Council, the Community, and your staff”. After 34 years as a Shire Clerk/CEO, 20 of those at Jondaryan, I am opting to retire from the ring, on the amalgamation of Jondaryan Shire into the Toowoomba Regional Council. Over the 20 years at Jondaryan Shire Council, with supportive Councils, we have achieved significant results for this community, which have had broader impacts as well. What we also have is a competent and keen workforce who will contribute greatly to the Toowoomba Regional Council. Read more...

Proposed Western Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant 5th March 2008: Jondaryan Shire Council has lodged an application to the EPA for the Western Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, to be located 6 kms west of Westbrook. Detailed design plans are almost completed by CH2MHill consultants, mapping out a three stage construction process. Stage one would service existing residential areas in Westbrook and Glenvale, and the growing industrial area at Charlton-Wellcamp, at a cost of almost $10 million. Sewerage has already been installed in much of Westbrook feeding into a temporary “package treatment plant”. This $2.1 million State Government and Council funded project is about 50 % complete, awaiting the finalisation of the Western Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant before it can be fully completed. Stage 3 would deliver Class A+ water, suitable for reuse through the “purple pipe” recycled water system that has been mandatory in all recent subdivisions in the Jondaryan Shire. Read more...

Last Meeting of Jondaryan Shire Council – Tuesday March 11th 2008 28th February 2008: A long and distinguished history will come to an end on Tuesday 11th March 2008 when the Jondaryan Shire Council holds its last meeting before becoming part of the Toowoomba Regional Council. The meeting, starting at 8.30 am, is open to the public and is expected to finish at 12 noon. Jondaryan Divisional Board came into existence in 1880, changed names to Jondaryan Shire Council in 1903, and was reduced to its current boundaries in 1913, when Drayton, Millmerran and Pittsworth Shires were formed from it. Shire offices were located in Toowomba until 1960, and the 40 year old Oakey office was replaced in 2002 with the current Administration Centre. A Jondaryan Shire Council history display will be at the 100th Oakey Show on Saturday March 15th, the day the Council ceases to exist. Read more...

Councillors Reject Rumours of Land Ownership in the Charlton Development Area 27th February 2008: Jondaryan Shire Council recently approved three industrial subdivisions, granted preliminary approval for a major rail transport depot, and fielded enquiries about the development a significant service centre and truck stop in the Charlton-Wellcamp Regional Industry Zone, which is destined to become a major inland road and railway freight interchange, straddling road and rail crossroads linking Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, Gladstone, the mineral rich Surat and Bowen basins, and rich agricultural areas in Queensland, Western NSW and Victoria. The Council, and individual Councillors, have been accused of potentially profiting from the development of the area, allegedly due to ownership of land along the Toowoomba Bypass and Inland Rail routes. “These are baseless and derogatory rumours” said Jondaryan Shire Mayor, Cr. Peter Taylor. “Not one of them, nor I, or the Council, owns any land, or holds any interest in any land, in the Charlton-Wellcamp area". Read more...

Taylor Calls for Jet Service to Lift Region 'Up, Up and Away' 15 February 2008: Until a jet air service becomes a reality in this region, we are all missing out, according to Jondaryan Mayor Peter Taylor. "This is the 21st century and our travellers, our tourism and business opportunities are being left behind." "There has to be a regular air service in and out of this region on a daily basis. The new Toowoomba Regional Council will have a population of 151,000 and, with the catchment of the Dalby area and the Southern Downs not far away, you can add another 50,000 people who today lack any jet passenger services", he said. Both Oakey and Toowoomba airports are necessary to meet the future increasing demands of civil and military aviation in the region, he believes. Read more...

Industrial Subdivision Surge 15th February 2008: The development of the Charlton-Wellcamp Industrial Area just west of Toowoomba is surging ahead, with three industrial subdivisions endorsed at the Jondaryan Shire Council Meeting on 12th February, including concept plans for adjoining blocks of land. These concept plans cover 75% of the General and Rural industry zone off O’Mara’s Road and 25% of the Transport and Warehousing precinct north and south of the Warrego Highway. Click Here for an annotated map. Preliminary approvals have also been granted for a major Rail Transport Depot being planned in association with the Australian Inland Railway, on land owned by the Australian Transport and Energy Corridor (ATEC) group, proponents of the nation-building Melbourne to Gladstone, and ultimately Darwin, Rail Expressway. Council has been approached about a total redevelopment of the current Charlton Service Station/Motel/Caryard site into a fully fledged Truck Stop with fuel, truck parking, fast food outlets, a commercial centre and ultimately an 80 bed motel. The Charlton-Wellcamp Industrial area is bounded by the proposed Toowoomba Highway Bypass link between the New England, Warrego and Gore Highways, abuts the existing Western Railway from Brisbane to Charleville, and will contain the Australia Inland Railway corridor. Read more...

"I make no apologies for representing my community" January 29th 2008 - A statement from Cr. Peter Taylor, Mayor, Jondaryan Shire Council: In response to Mayor Thorley’s comments on recycled water in the Toowoomba Chronicle on Saturday 26th January I wish to state the facts. I did not campaign for or against the recycled water question. I did however argue that our residents even though they live outside the City boundaries should have the opportunity to have a say on the basis that they are connected to the same water supply as Toowoomba residents. I will make no apologies for representing the community I represent and will continue to do so while in office. The new Toowoomba Regional Council when elected in a few weeks time will need to discuss openly with the community and the State Government the best long term water solutions for all towns and industry across the whole region. Read more...

Jondaryan Shire Australia Day Award Recipients Mayor of Jondaryan Shire, Cr. Peter Taylor, presented the Jondaryan Shire Australia Day Awards at a ceremony at the Museum of Australian Army Flying at the Oakey Army Airfield on Saturday 26th January. In addition to the annual awards, 30 Shire Commendations were presented in recognition of people who have made significant contributions to the community over the years, given this was last Jondaryan Shire Australia Day awards as we know them, as the Jondaryan Shire will cease to exist on March 15th when the Toowoomba Regional Council comes into existence. Read more...