Toowoomba Regional Council 2008 election - airport and water key issues at debate ...

Excerpt from the Chronicle:

Air, water take centre stage with candidates

5 March 2008

The knockout blows - drinking recycled water and future air services - together with the feared heckling came at the end of the Toowoomba Regional Council candidates' forum at Hume Ridge Hall in Hume Street last night.

Citizens Against Drinking Sewage (CADS) coordinator Rosemary Morley took the floor in her quest to find like-minded council candidates for the new amalgamated council.

In her sights was mayoral candidate Peter Taylor, who raised the ire of some in not giving a direct yes or no answer on the question of recycled water.

Also under fire was his insistence that the Oakey Army Aviation Centre remained an option for future air passenger services, which the Defence Force has denied.

Cr Snow Manners was adamant there would be no connection to Wivenhoe Dam under his rule, while Cr Ian Jones said the pipeline was essential.

All three mayoral candidates - Crs Taylor, Snow Manners and Ian Jones - stood united with 19 of the 21 potential councillors present, agreeing the new entity should be known as the Darling Downs Regional Council.

More than 350 people, mostly seniors, attended last night's meeting to hear the candidates speak.

Two councillor contenders, former Toowoomba mayor Tony Bourke and the sole Toowoomba City councillor to front the gathering, Michele Alroe, remained seated in opposition to the name change.

Mr Bourke said he was disappointed about the hostility towards Toowoomba and added the soon-to-be amalgamated region was not specifically the Darling Downs, with South Burnett town Yarraman also included in the new area.

Cr Alroe explained the city council was insistent Toowoomba, with a proud history, should be recognised as the capital of the new area.

Mayoral hopefuls all pledged unity as the city and seven shires come together.

Cr Manners attempted to fend off smears of his failure to provide future water options and took credit for a series of council decisions to sink 20 bores into the basalt aquifers as well as the agreement to bring the Hampton GAB bore on line and drilling into the Helidon sandstones.

"We have good managers who are working tirelessly to ensure our water supply is secure, he said.

See - Key election issues.