Collaboration Spurs Success at Roma Mayors’ Meeting
The recent Roma meeting (May 15, 16, 2025) of the Darling Downs and South West Queensland Council of Mayors (DDSWQCoM) highlighted how working together can achieve great outcomes.
DDSWQCoM chair, Toowoomba Region Mayor Cr Geoff McDonald, said one of the major opportunities was participation in the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into Volunteering.
“The broader region is coming off the back of a major flooding event which highlighted how important volunteers are during a natural disaster,” Mayor McDonald said.
“Mayors highlighted the importance of making it easier for people to be volunteers with recognised national status through an accredited volunteer passport and creating community hubs to support and encourage people to become volunteers.”
The two-day meeting of the 10 member councils that cover half of Queensland was an opportunity to troubleshoot, discuss and find solutions to common problems, in addition to hearing from speakers from peak bodies.
Mayor McDonald said a presentation by Insurance Council of Australia Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hall prompted a discussion on the significance of ‘ground truthing’ risk profiles of properties in flood prone areas against local government flood mapping.
“While councils across south-western Queensland have seen significant flood event, there has also been flood mitigation infrastructure that isn’t being considered in the risk profile of properties,” Mayor McDonald said.
https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-publications/media-releases/16538-working-together-achieves-great-outcomes-at-roma-council-of-mayors-meeting