CEO’s Report
Maintaining our enviable liveability and providing
value-for-money services to our residents, visitors and
businesses remained a key consideration for Council
during the 2016-17 financial year.
Continued growth in our region presented exciting
opportunities and challenges, with Council investing
in projects to realise our vision as a vibrant, inclusive,
environmentally rich and prosperous region that
embraces the future while respecting the past.
As an organisation, we have invested significantly in
achieving the goals articulated in our 2014-19 Corporate
Plan and I am proud of our ‘scorecard’ this financial
year. Adapting our strategic direction to meet the
changing and diverse needs of our residents remained
a key priority, with Council adopting two new Corporate
Goals – ‘Culture’ and ‘Innovation & Technology’ during
this financial year. Inclusion of these goals affirms our
commitment towards prioritising a positive culture and
actively looking for creative and innovative solutions to
improve service delivery outcomes for our community.
Reporting of these goals will commence this coming
financial year, 2017-18.
Over the past 12 months, Toowoomba Regional Council
has employed more than 1,790 staff in over 200 separate
roles. As one of the largest employers in the region,
Council is committed to delivering a broad range of
training and professional development opportunities for
our workforce. Our commitment was acknowledged this
year, with Council winning the Large Employer of the Year
10
in the Queensland regional training awards for the Darling
Downs region. Extension of our Parental Leave Policy
to provide eligible female employees’ 14 weeks paid
maternity leave and the introduction of a Transition to
Retirement framework were further endorsements of our
commitment to building a skilled and diverse workforce
that reflects the community we serve.
Council continued to provide outstanding customer
service, with 220,000 telephone calls and service centre
enquiries responded to this year. Our residents continue
to express high levels of satisfaction with the service
received from Customer Service Officers, with more
than 90% of queries resolved during the first interaction.
Ensuring customers are provided with a professional and
seamless customer experience is a continuing focus for
Council, with promotion of a 'Community First' culture
across the organisation.
A well-planned and maintained infrastructure system
is critical for a successful economy. This year, Council
invested significantly in link roads to the Toowoomba
Second Range Crossing, streetscape works to North
Ruthven Street and the City Hall Auditorium and new
Annex. We also completed surveys and designs for 66
projects totalling $27.4 million for the 2016-17 Capital
Works Program, including planning and preliminary
design of the new Charlton Principal Depot.
Receipt of prestigious urban planning awards for the
Kwong San Walk project and the Clifton Township Open
Space Concept Master Plan were affirmation of our
TOOWOOMBA REGIONAL COUNCIL I Annual Report 2016 - 2017