Community & Business
28 July, 2025
Crunch time for Oakey Australia Day Committee
Oakey’s Australia Day organising committee members will be forced to formally re-apply to Toowoomba Regional Council for their roles and the nationally renowned Australia Day event will be subject to even more red tape after Council’s updated Terms of Reference for the Council Working Groups were passed last week.
At the meeting, Cr Carol Taylor questioned why the ‘Council Working Groups’ were not called “Australia Day Committees” to better acknowledge the work that local volunteers put into the event.
TRC Australia Day Coordinating Working Group chair Cr James O’Shea said the updated Terms of Reference were designed to clarify roles and responsibilities for volunteer community members on the Region’s Australia Day Local Working Groups.
“Council is appreciative of the commitment and passion shown by our community members who volunteer and contribute to each Local Working Group to organise community activities for our civic Australia Day commemorations each year,” Cr O’Shea said.
“While there is no change to the general organising structure, the changes will require all new appointments (including former members) to accept the updated Terms of Reference and be inducted as a Council volunteer.
“Former Local Working Group members who agree to the new operating terms will be re-appointed to respective groups and registered in line with Council’s Volunteer Management Policy and procedures.
“The appointments will run for the current term of Council.
“Where former members do not wish to continue in their voluntary role, Council will call for new community representatives via a public advertising process.
“Council has advised current Local Working Group members about the review process and is confident that the groups’ composition will be finalised in readiness for the start of preparations for the 2026 civic Australia Day functions.”
The new Terms of Reference Report has described the Oakey Australia Day Working Group as a reputational risk.
Long time local promoter Craig Commens has been vocal in his disapproval of Council’s attempts to wind back Oakey’s Australia Day activities, which have seen the event receive widespread positive coverage across national media outlets.
The Council Report reviewing the Terms of Reference contained a thinly-disguised reference to Mr Commens’ dissatisfaction in the Risk Management Matters section.
“It is acknowledged some reputational risk exists due to the redevelopment of the Terms of Reference relevant to Local Working Groups, particularly considering the ongoing and sustained nature of membership (volunteers) to these groups,” the report said.
“In the past, some representatives of the Oakey Local Working Group have contacted Councillors, local MPs, other Local Working Groups, and media when dissatisfied with Council direction and decisions regarding the operations of Australia Day activities in their area.
“It is acknowledged (that) some current members may not accept the new Terms of Reference and/or prior behaviour may exclude them from being accepted as new members (volunteers)”
As reported last week, relations between the Oakey Working Group and Toowoomba Regional Council officers were strained last year due to restrictions placed on the Games Section of the Day.
Some popular games were cancelled, including the popular raft races, resulting in reduced attendance from the wider district.
In previous years, up to 500 people have attended the day, but attendance was down by a percentage in the double digits (although Council’s figure of 190 for last year is strongly disputed by working group members talking off-the-record).
Speaking before the presentation of the Awards this year, veteran Australia Day committee organiser Fay Telford, who has volunteered with the local committee for decades, said that the 2025 Awards were the toughest to organise due to the extra red tape imposed on the popular activities by the Creek.
