April 7, 2020
The first statutory meeting of the new Toowoomba Regional Council will be held next Thursday (April 23).
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting will be held in The Annex at the rear of the City Hall building in Toowoomba.
The Deputy Mayor will be elected and portfolios assigned to each councillor.
Mayor Paul Antonio said a date for a Special Meeting would also be set to formally consider local economic stimulus and relief options.
“The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life around the world and added a new set of challenges for governments, businesses and the entire community,” Mayor Antonio said.
“There’s no doubt our top priority must be to examine exactly what assistance or relief local government can offer local businesses and families.
“This is an important first step for the new Council and one which can’t be taken lightly which is why we will hold an information session prior to the first meeting of Council.
“In the first instance, Councillors need to be informed about the long-term financial sustainability of Council and the reserves it has, including how much of those reserves are constrained and what the capacity is for discretionary use.
“It’s also important for Council to consider the support packages available through State and Federal Governments as we don’t want to duplicate support. Council genuinely wants to identify local businesses that don’t qualify for support that is already available, and then allocate Council resources where appropriate.”
