Livingstone Shire Council Civic Luncheon

Member for Keppel, Mr Nigel Hutton MP; Livingstone Shire Council, Mayor Councillor Adam Belot, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Pat Eastwood; Interim CEO, Mr Alastair Dawson, Councillors and staff; guest speakers, including 2026 Livingstone Shire Council Citizen of the Year, Mr Robert Lang, 2026 Livingstone Shire Young Council Citizen of the Year, Ms Myilly Symington, and student leaders from Yeppoon State High School and St Ursulas College; distinguished guests.

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

Good afternoon, everyone — and thank you, Councillor Lance Warcon, for welcoming us so warmly to the lands of the Darumbal people.

In less than three months, the Darumbal community will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the High Court decision to grant Native Title to these ancestral lands, and I take this opportunity to congratulate all people of Darumbal heritage on the many achievements of the decade since that historic milestone.

I have been very much looking forward to my first official visit to the Capricorn Coast as Governor because I came to love this beautiful part of our State more than 30 years ago when I moved to Queensland to take up the position of Director of Medical Services at the Rockhampton Base Hospital.

Much has changed in the intervening three decades, but what has remained is not just the superb natural environment, but the immediate sense that this is a connected, inclusive community and a safe and affordable place to live.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of Australia has now also discovered just how liveable this region is, and am delighted to see that the community has fully embraced Council’s Blueprint Livingstone Project in response to increasing demand on housing, health services, transport and infrastructure.

When this bold initiative was launched, just over six months ago, Mayor Belot described it as an opportunity for both Council and the community to think ‘bigger than business as usual’. It is certainly very clear to Graeme and me that this Council is proactively planning an exciting, sustainable future for this Shire.

One group that understands the importance of that focus on the long-term sustainability of this region is the Livingstone Youth Action Group.

I am so impressed with the efforts of these passionate and inspiring young change-makers and innovative thinkers.

In recent years, they have set an example for the entire community by developing and implementing more than a dozen projects to address the concerns of the young people of Livingstone – creating energy and momentum within the community to help produce a sense of pride and united purpose.

So, too, do the dynamic young leaders emerging from our schools and the marvellous individuals who give so generously of their time and talents as volunteers.

 In combination, they are a force to be reckoned with and Graeme and I are very much looking forward to hearing from the school leaders and the recipients of the Shire’s 2026 Australia Day Awards on today’s panel, and to chatting with you all after today’s luncheon.

Thank you once again for joining us today. Please enjoy your lunch.