Dinner in Support of Regional Mayors

Mayors, Councillors, CEOs, and your partners, from communities across Far North Queensland and the Cape York Peninsula; good evening.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to the First Nations people here this evening—whose contributions to preserving language and traditions are highly valued.

Graeme and I welcome you all to Government House. We are so pleased we could schedule this dinner while you were in Brisbane for the Local Government Association of Queensland Civic Leaders Summit.

We know that this trip comes at a tricky time for you, and a difficult time for many of your communities, with Tropical Cyclone Narelle disrupting power and communications, felling trees and resulting in substantial debris, with the massive clean-up continuing. 

I thank you for showing such dedicated leadership to help prepare your constituents, and keep them safe, through such unpredictable events, and for all that you do—each and every day—to help your regions thrive.

Graeme and I have been privileged to have visited most of your shires while touring Cape York and Torres Strait, and the Gulf of Carpentaria, in 2023 and 2025.

We have another trip planned to the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula in June this year, and I am very much looking forward to visiting this remarkable part of Queensland again, or at least the parts we have not yet been to.

We have always felt such a tremendous sense of welcome when we visit, and have also been deeply impressed by the way you are working so hard with your Councils and communities, to strengthen the incredible attributes that make your part of Queensland so special.

The emphasis you place on education and promoting opportunities for young people is particularly admirable, because nurturing creativity is such a powerful way to build pride and confidence—encouraging young people to generate the ideas and initiatives that will have a wider positive impact in the years ahead.

However, being so geographically remote has its challenges—accessing services can be difficult, and major concerns include affordable housing, receiving specialist health care, food security, and education on country to Year 12, and digital connectivity. 

It is so important that we address these issues together, because while yours are each uniquely diverse regions, there are substantial overlaps that affect all.

There is no doubt that your job is a tough one, and that you and your families have many demands placed upon you…but the determination and dedication you each demonstrate to create opportunities for your people, while maintaining a deep sense of connection to culture, and your lands and waterways, is incredibly inspirational. 

So, tonight, on behalf of all Queenslanders, I thank you and your Councils for guiding your communities—through large-scale emergencies, and in the day-to-day operations that make life better for all residents.

By combining a keen sense of strategy and management, with compassion and understanding, you are helping to make this beautiful northern tip of Queensland even more extraordinary.

Graeme and I hope you can relax a little after a busy few days, and enjoy your time here at Government House.