Kingaroy Community Reception

South Burnett Regional Council Mayor, Councillor Kathy Duff and Councillors; former Mayor, and South Burnett Lifetime Achievement award recipient, Mr Keith Campbell, OAM; South Burnett’s 2026 Citizen of the Year, and President of the Kingaroy Men’s Shed, Mr Eric Ford; community leaders; distinguished guests. 

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands on which we are gathered today, and I pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today. 

Thank you for your warm welcome. Graeme and I are pleased to be back in this special part of Queensland, especially during autumn when temperatures have started to dip and the countryside is so picturesque. We are especially pleased to be meeting with you here, as Joint Patrons of the Queensland Men's Shed Association – an incredible institution that does so much to encourage community participation and belonging in communities such as yours. 

As Governor for all of Queensland, I have been determined to visit as many regional parts of our wonderful State as possible during my term.  

My pledge to visit Queenslanders where they live has taken me up along our magnificent coastline to the very top of Queensland, Thursday Island; across to the Gulf, from Aurukun to Doomadgee; through the Far West, including Mount Isa and Cloncurry; down into the Central and far South West to towns such as Boulia, Bedourie and Birdsville; and along our border communities with New South Wales, including Goondiwindi. 

I am also on track to visit every public hospital in the state, fulfilling my pledge to thank frontline healthcare workers for their hard work and dedication.  

On this trip, I have included visits to hospitals in Kilcoy, Nanango and Kingaroy – and have been impressed by the expertise of the medical staff who are dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of locals.  

I was particularly pleased earlier this morning to see first-hand the new lifesaving Telestroke service at the Kingaroy Hospital. 

These regional visits give me the chance to meet people where they live, work, raise families, run businesses, and collectively make incredible contributions to strengthen their communities, our State and our nation. 

This morning, I had the privilege of presenting a Medal of the Order of Australia to one of your remarkable citizens, Mr Vernon Clark OAM, in recognition of his distinguished career as an engineering and research consultant to the Australian peanut industry. 

Later today, we will be meeting with the Mayor and Councillors, and then visiting the Kingaroy State School, and various landmarks and cultural sites around town.  

These visits are incredibly important as they allow me to learn first-hand about the issues and challenges you face, as well as the successes and the unique opportunities that come with living in regional Queensland. This community alone has produced many admirable examples of lives lived well.  

Mr Clark is not the only local resident being honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2026. Later this month, at Government House in Brisbane, I will present this same award to Mr Keith Campbell OAM for his services to local government and the South Burnett community, and to Councillor Rosamund Heit OAM for her services to the community across a range of organisations. 

I understand that it has been a challenging time for this region as it continues to recover from the flooding of early March, which damaged many roads and destroyed infrastructure.

I particularly acknowledge the great efforts of the Council, emergency services, the South Burnett Local Disaster Recovery Group, and BlazeAid2 volunteers for assisting with clean-up and recovery efforts. 

For a region built on agriculture and industry, the current soaring fuel prices, fertiliser shortages and supply chain issues have added to the challenges, while many here will be feeling the cost-of-living pinch.  

However, I know that the Kingaroy community will be pulling together, and that this region will adapt to whatever challenges arise. I thank all of you for the part you play in supporting this community, and for your warm hospitality today. I look forward to chatting with as many of you as possible.