AFTER eight years of running for Mayor Tom Sharp has reflected on his first year and half in the job, saying there’s still considerable work to be done.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” the Scenic Rim Mayor said.
“It’s been a progressive process to repair the damage from the last council. Driving the change of a culture built up over 15 years will take a full term.
“One of the keys was empowering councillors and a restructure, which we are going through now. At the next council meeting there will be key announcements.”
In the 2024 election, Tom ran on a platform of ending the toxic culture that he says existed within council bureaucracy, spurious conflict of interest claims and the elimination of waste.
These were ambitious claims, however, he stands by them and doesn’t believe he over promised.
“I continue to either deliver or drive,” he stated.
“Empowering the councillors themselves is one of the most important aspects. I have spent time with them encouraging them that I’m there to support them and empower them to lead their own communities and divisions.
“They are there to be the voice and are in control of the strategy, the policies and the budget, and collectively we come together with the key responsibility to ensure the council is performing in line with people’s expectations and delivery on the policies and strategies.”
He added that transparency through the media was also key, and this would involve a cooperative relationship with the media, which had also been lost.
When asked about his relationship with CEO David Keenan, Tom described it as a typical one between a mayor and CEO.
“I inherited the CEO. My responsibility is to manage the CEO and oversee council performance.”
Tom said while the previous council had put in place policies for performance agreements they were never enacted, and he is in the process of enacting these policies now.
“This will apply to the CEO. The results will prove how effective he and management are.”
He explained the culture that exists in the council, including the number of complaints to the Office of Independent Assessor, was set by the CEO and he would look at reflecting those complaints as a measurement factor in determining a change in the culture.
One of the key factors Tom is wanting to ensure is whether management is giving councillors honest answers. By empowering councillors, he hopes this will have a flow on effect to that relationship.
Restoring a level of trust with residents he felt was an ongoing process.
“You can’t measure the level of trust on any one day, it’s a journey and you always have to have hope,” he expressed.
“The key is communication and getting out and responding and listening and getting results, even if small or slow to come. I enjoy engaging with the people on the ground and listening to them.
“It requires grinding away every single day. I spend as much time as I can in community as well as advocating for the region, which takes me out of the region, as well as oversight of the council.”
With the Scenic Rim’s population expected to reach over 67,000 by 2041, Tom said his job and goal was to ensure this has minimal impact on existing residents and enable the region to get the supporting infrastructure to cope with that growth.
The majority of that growth will be in Beaudesert, followed by Boonah.
“It’s critical that any sort of development whether industrial, commercial or residential is compatible to the region,” he explained, adding that essential infrastructure around water, energy, transportation and digital would minimise impact for existing residents as well providing for future growth.
He is excited about showcasing the Scenic Rim on the world stage at the Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Dubai in October, which he pointed out is covered by the annual subscription to the Council of Mayors (SEQ).
He said it would provide an opportunity to sell the region to investors, particularly around the areas of agri-tourism, eco-tourism and downstream value-added processing.
Tom said one of the issues for the region was the lack of an abattoir, with producers forced to take their livestock to Esk.
“We lose the potential for jobs, and we have to look at innovation and technology in agriculture and tourism, particularly around sport and recreation leading into the 2032 Olympic Games,” Tom said.
On a personal note, the year has been a tough one with he and his French-born wife making the decision that she and their teenage daughter should spend the year in France.
“We knew this was the best time because I was going to throw myself into the job, which has been seven days a week. There hasn’t been time for anything else except council,” he explained.
With their return to the country, he is looking forward to quality time off to reconnect in September.
When asked what he’d like his legacy as Mayor to be he said to ask again in 12 months and then at the end of term to see how much further down the track he’s gotten in his efforts to bring change.
“You have always got to be optimistic and have hope. I’m encouraged by the councillor’s support and hard work to achieve that change,” he said.
