{"id":225927,"date":"2018-12-18T19:28:58","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T09:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=225927"},"modified":"2020-07-25T12:17:15","modified_gmt":"2020-07-25T02:17:15","slug":"mayor-apologises-to-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/12\/18\/mayor-apologises-to-council\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Apologises To Council"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio … made a formal apology to his fellow councillors on Tuesday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 18, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio made a formal apology at Tuesday’s Council meeting as part of a penalty ordered earlier this month by the Local Government Regional Conduct Review Panel.<\/p>\n

Mayor Antonio was ordered to apologise by the Panel after it ruled he had failed to disclose a material personal interest during dealings about the Melbourne-to-Brisbane Inland Railway project.<\/p>\n

He was also fined $15,000 and ordered to undergo counselling.<\/p>\n

In 2017, the ABC reported that Mayor Antonio personally paid $4900 to have an alternate route for the Melbourne-to-Brisbane Inland Railway project investigated.<\/p>\n

The Mayor commissioned the investigation after many groups – including the Queensland Farmers Federation – said they believed the Federal Government had made the wrong decision about the route for the Yelarbon to Gowrie section of the Inland Rail.<\/p>\n

They protested the line would cross 16km of the Condamine floodplain between Brookstead and Millmerran, which would have significant implications for farmers and landholders.<\/p>\n

The alternative route proposed by Mayor Antonio avoided this problem, but took the rail line close to a quarry he owned.<\/p>\n

At the time, Mayor Antonio said his ownership of a quarry – at the heart of the dispute – was included in his register of personal interests lodged with the Council.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, he said he had accepted the decision of the Panel although he was deeply disappointed.<\/p>\n

He said his intentions had never been to serve his personal interests.<\/p>\n

“My intention has always been to conduct myself with integrity and honour,” he said.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/h2>\n

Councillors also adopted TRC’s 2017-18 Annual Report at Tuesday’s meeting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mayor Antonio said the Gross Regional Product (GRP) had risen to $465 million this financial year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most pleasing aspect is that this is consistent growth we are experiencing and not just a one-off,” he said.<\/p>\n

“The average growth has been more than 3.6 per cent per year over the past 10 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cLocal jobs also increased from 80,730 to 85,343 (up 5.72 per cent), exceeding the State percentage increase for the fourth consecutive year.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur population trends tell a story of steady and manageable growth, with 50,000 new residents expected to call our region home by 2031.”<\/p>\n

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