Community & Business
28 May, 2026
Residents grill Mayor at Chamber Forum
Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald took a series of passionate questions from the floor at an Oakey Chamber of Commerce Council Information Night on Monday.
Questions turned into debate at times as residents asked why services were not keeping up with growth in town.
Mayor McDonald was asked if TRC could provide any assistance with banking services and said he could not see a future where a bank returned to Oakey without Federal Government assistance.
“We will have not luck trying to get a bank to come here,” he said.
“Our Federal Member is the only hope for getting banking services back in Oakey.”
Bi-rite Oakey Electrical owner Andrew Langton brought up the perennial issue of lack of parking during peak times on Campbell Street.
Mayor McDonald said TRC’s draft planning scheme including main street parking would be released soon for public consultation.
Real estate agent George Westgarth asked the Mayor if Toowoomba Regional Council had modelled the financial impact of losing Inland Rail.
The short answer was no.
The lack of cleaning being done in the Florentzos-owned arcade on Campbell Street was also raised.
Mayor McDonald recommended using a carrot rather than a stick to fix the problem.
St Monica’s teacher aide Carmel Cooper asked where the Gordon Park play equipment had gone, but no immediate explanation was given.
Concern over a lack of toilets for park runners at Arthur Shooter Park was also discussed to no immediate end.
The meeting was also attended by State Member for Condamine Pat Weir MP, Deputy Mayor Rebeca Vonhoff and Crs Trevor Manteufel, Tim McMahon and Melissa Taylor.
Representatives from the NBN also attended and spoke about the work they were doing around town.
