General News
10 March, 2026
New TRC CEO wants more Oakey residents working at Council
Toowoomba Regional Council CEO Sal Petroccito says he wants more people from Oakey working at Council following a decline in both the number of staff working full-time at the Oakey Customer Service Centre and in local residents working across Council.
At the Oakey Customer Service Centre, formerly the Jondaryan Shire Council offices, there were ten staff working full-time for TRC before COVID.
These employees worked in Customer Service, Payroll, Records and Community Development roles.
Currently, the number of staff working at the Oakey Customer Service Centre in 2026 is down to seven, with some of these positions being only part-time.
CEO Sal Petroccito says numbers of staff at Council offices fluctuate.
“We have eight Customer Service Centres located in Clifton, Crows Nest, Goombungee, Highfields, Millmerran, Oakey, Pittsworth and Toowoomba,” he said.
“Each of these centres are supported by friendly, permanent customer service staff, along with team members from other parts of Council, such as Construction and Maintenance and Parks and Recreation, who regularly work from these locations.
“These numbers can change from time to time due to flexible work arrangements, which often means there are more staff in the offices on any given day.”
Goombungee’s Customer Service Centre is currently home to 11 employees and also has a strong Parks & Recreation presence.
TRC does not have a long term strategy for its regional Service Centres at present, although several ideas are being tossed around.
There are no plans to divest these assets.
Mr Petroccito says TRC is committed to supporting communities through their local Service Centres.
“Toowoomba Regional Council is proud to support our community and we work hard to make sure residents across all 36 towns in our Region have access to the services they need, close to home,” he said.
Oakey Customer Service Centre has the potential to be used more efficiently, with several rooms empty, and the former Shire board room not regularly in use.
TRC says it is continuing to look for opportunities to maximise the use of the former Shire Council offices, such as using the Oakey facility as an internal document management centre, alongside its present use as the local Council Service Centre.
Separately, residents are proportionally under-represented across the whole TRC payroll.
With representation from the former Jondaryan Shire being a weak spot, the new CEO says he would like to see more Oakey and district residents working at TRC.
“Council values the local knowledge and community spirit that comes from the people who work in our 36 regional towns,” CEO Petroccito said.
“We know that local experience enriches our organisation and strengthens the service we deliver.
“We encourage residents across the Region to consider applying for Council roles when opportunities arise.
“Local insight makes our organisation stronger and we welcome applicants who want to help shape the future of their community.”
