By Teresa Harding
RECENT changes made by the Queensland Government will see Queensland mayors reinstated to their rightful role as Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group.
This is a critical role that oversees the city’s response to significant weather events and other major disasters, and could not come at a better time given the storm season has most definitely commenced in South East Queensland.
These changes come in response to Council’s decision last year to remove me from the role, supported by five of the city’s nine councillors, and appoint a councillor who had no experience in leading our city through a disaster.
The April 2024 decision prompted a strong response from our community.
Hundreds of residents emailed, called and messaged councillors to provide robust feedback about this decision.
A typical Council Meeting might receive around one hundred or so views – this meeting had more than 2000.
It also highlighted a significant loophole in the State’s Disaster Management Regulations.
These regulations could not stop councillors using their political power to either remove or threaten to remove a mayor from leading their city through a disaster, regardless of the views of residents or the risk to community safety.
The Queensland Government listened, and commenced consultation with key agencies across local government and emergency management such as the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Reconstruction Authority and the Local Government Association of Queensland.
This resulted in a regulation change coming into effect on December 1 that appointed mayors (or their nominees) as the Chair of their Local Disaster Management Group, ensuring they can lead their city in a disaster as they were elected to do.
Unlike councillors, mayors are democratically elected by an entire city and therefore can be held to account if they don’t meet the expectations of the community.
They also hold powers under the Local Government Act that other councillors do not.
This is why mayors across Queensland have typically been the Chairs of their Local Disaster Management Groups – except in Ipswich.
Fortunately, common sense has prevailed.
Thanks to Ipswich residents and the Queensland Government, this change removes the opportunity to play politics with a disaster and puts the focus back where it should be – on community safety.
