Littering when driving
with average attendance for each event of 363
community members
• Australian-first monument against domestic violence.
Community outcomes
Pool and spa compliance
New legislation by the Queensland Building and
Construction Commission (QBCC) came into effect this
financial year which requires any pool that can hold
30 centimetres of water – even temporary inflatable
pools, to be surrounded by a child-proof barrier.
Council developed an education campaign and
region-wide advertising for the community to ensure
compliance and safety for our residents.
Public health
Delivering services to our community that prioritise
public health, including food safety education and
licensing, is a key role of Council. This year Council
provided free online food safety training to more
than 1,400 users per month through external provider
Environmental Health Australia. The foundations were
also laid this year to develop a service strategy for
environmental health, including analysis of the current
licence application processes and procedures.
Council is also responsible for undertaking licensed
premises inspections under the Food Act 2006,
Environmental Protection Act 1994 and the Public
Health (Infection Control for Personal Appearances
Services) Act 2003. During the 2015-16 financial
year, 636 licensed premises were inspected across
the region with 139 new licences approved and
three infringement notices issued. Breaches of this
legislation resulted in corrective actions and Council
staff were equipped to monitor, record and give action
plans to rectify food and health issues.
The immunisation clinic again offered successful
services to the community as part of the governmentfunded National Immunisation Program Schedule
Queensland. Free immunisation was available for
scheduled baby/childhood vaccinations, school
vaccinations for secondary schools, as well as
influenza vaccinations for eligible community
members. The clinic runs every Wednesday from
9am to 1.30pm and monthly evening clinics on the
first Thursday of every month from 5.30pm to 7pm.
The clinic is also available to school students on
Wednesday from 3pm until 4pm.
Community education
Th is year, Council supported the Queensland
Government’s ‘Love Queensland. Let’s keep it clean’
campaign aimed to raise awareness of the risks and
consequences of roadside littering, as well as how
to report incidences. Illegal dumping and littering
is a serious issue for our community with our major
highways being recorded as hotspots for discarded
drink and food containers and cigarette butts.
A number of education campaigns were also run this
year in targeted baiting catchments, as well as the
general community to raise awareness of wild dog
baiting on how these programs are coordinated. Pest
management will always be challenging in our unique
region as much of our land is dedicated to agriculture
and Council will continue to invest in resources to
assist landholders to keep their land free of animal
and plant pests.
The Pest Management Advisory Committee met three
times this year to review the Pest Management Plan
going forward. Working with the Pest Management
Advisory Committee, Council will continue to coordinate
the cooperative management of pest animals and
plants to minimise their impact. Using ecologically
and socially responsible pest management practices,
we will continue to protect the environment and the
productive capacity of our natural resources.
Empowering and supporting our community
This financial year, the Queensland Government’s
Department of Communities, Child Safety and
Disability in an arrangement with Toowoomba
Regional Council and other drought-affected Councils,
offered the opportunity for community groups to apply
for a Community Drought Support grant program.
Community Drought Support grants of up to $5,000
were available for eligible community organisations,
or groups that were interested in using funds to
support various activities promoting wellbeing or
addressing a genuine need in an area. The grants
saw applications to enhance social networks, manage
events and support services for communities in need
and strengthened the resilience of areas battling
the drought.
TOOWOOMBA REGIONAL COUNCIL Annual Report 2015 - 2016
Our goals CHAPTER 4
81