Ordinary - 28 Jan 2026 9:00 am

Key decisions

• Leave of absence approved for Cr Jennifer Sanders
  Council granted Cr Jennifer Sanders leave of absence from the Ordinary Meeting scheduled for 25 March 2026.
  Minor governance matter with no direct service impact.
• Dubai mission report noted and accepted
  Council noted Mayor Tom Sharp's participation in the Council of Mayors (South East Queensland) Dubai mission in October 2025 and accepted the post-mission report.
  Provides transparency about the Mayor's international delegation activities.
• Grahams Dip Road motion deferred
  A motion seeking to repeal the 10 December 2025 resolution about upgrading Grahams Dip Road and to refer the matter for policy-based evaluation and cost estimation was deferred to the next Ordinary Meeting.
  Residents near Grahams Dip Road will need to wait for a later decision on possible road upgrade planning and budget consideration.
• Deputy Mayor vacancy motions lost
  Motions to amend the 5 April 2024 Deputy Mayor appointment resolution and declare the Deputy Mayor's office vacant were both lost 3 votes to 4.
  Council's existing Deputy Mayor arrangement remains unchanged.
• Gold Coast cableway information request supported
  Council resolved to have the CEO write to the City of Gold Coast seeking more information about its cableway proposal affecting Tamborine Mountain, including likely tourist volumes, character impacts and infrastructure needs.
  Signals Council concern about potential tourism and infrastructure impacts on Tamborine Mountain.
• Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular sponsorship approved
  Council approved $25,000 in Category 2 sponsorship for the 2026 Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular, including $14,760 cash, $5,240 in-kind waste bin support and $5,000 in-kind marketing and public relations support.
  Supports a regional event likely to bring visitors and local economic activity.
• Audit and Risk Committee report noted
  Council noted the report from the Audit and Risk Committee meeting held on 20 November 2025.
  Supports oversight and accountability but does not directly change services.
• December 2025 financial report received
  Council received the unaudited monthly financial report for December 2025.
  Provides public oversight of Council's financial position.
• Acting Chief Executive Officer appointed
  Council appointed Leo Jensen, Director Planning, Development and Environment, to act as Chief Executive Officer from 31 January to 15 February 2026 inclusive.
  Ensures continuity of Council administration and decision-making during the acting period.
• Further information sought on regional waste proposal
  In confidential business, Council resolved to request further financial, operational and governance information from the Council of Mayors South East Queensland about its regional waste proposal, including the impact of other thermal treatment initiatives.
  Could affect future waste service strategy and major regional infrastructure decisions.
• CEO performance agreement and position description approved
  In confidential business, Council approved the Chief Executive Officer's performance agreement and organisational priorities for the next 12 months, and approved an amended CEO position description.
  Affects organisational leadership and priorities rather than immediate frontline services.

Important topics

• Grahams Dip Road upgrade review
  Council did not decide the underlying road upgrade issue at this meeting; the repeal and reassessment motion was deferred to the next Ordinary Meeting.
  Road users in Biddaddaba may see later changes to upgrade planning, standards or budget timing.
• Tamborine Mountain cableway proposal
  Council is seeking more detail from the City of Gold Coast about the proposed cableway and its possible effects on tourism pressure, local character and infrastructure demand.
  Important for Tamborine Mountain residents concerned about development and visitor impacts.
• Procurement policy amendments
  The agenda included amendments to the Procurement and Contract Management Policy, but the extracted text does not show the final adopted resolution.
  Potentially relevant to how Council buys goods and services, but the meeting outcome is unclear from the provided text.
• Closed-session regional waste planning
  Council considered a South East Queensland regional waste proposal and chose to seek more information before any future participation.
  May influence long-term waste management costs, facilities and regional partnerships.

Resident impacts

• A $25,000 Council sponsorship package was approved for the 2026 Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular.
• A decision on the future of Grahams Dip Road in Biddaddaba was delayed to a future meeting.
• Council will formally seek more information about the Gold Coast cableway proposal's effects on Tamborine Mountain.
• Leo Jensen will serve as Acting Chief Executive Officer from 31 January to 15 February 2026.
• Council is not yet committing to the regional waste proposal and has asked for more detail first.

Places affected

• Grahams Dip Road (road)
  Proposed repeal and reassessment of an earlier road upgrade resolution was deferred.
• Biddaddaba (locality)
  Locality affected by the Grahams Dip Road matter.
• Tamborine Mountain (locality)
  Potentially affected by the proposed cableway and associated tourism and infrastructure impacts.
• Springbrook (locality)
  Mentioned as an alternative cableway connection option in the City of Gold Coast proposal.
• Beaudesert-Nerang Road (road)
  Referenced in the earlier Grahams Dip Road resolution regarding intersection or treatment requirements.
• Scenic Rim (region)
  Regional event sponsorship and broader Council decisions apply across the local government area.

Next steps

• Reconsider the deferred Grahams Dip Road motion at the next Ordinary Meeting.
  Next Ordinary Meeting
• CEO to write to the City of Gold Coast requesting more information about the cableway proposal.
  After the meeting
• Leo Jensen to serve as Acting Chief Executive Officer.
  31 January to 15 February 2026
• Seek additional financial, operational and governance information from the Council of Mayors South East Queensland on the regional waste proposal.
  Before any future participation decision
• Confirm these minutes.
  25 February 2026

Extracted minutes text

All correspondence to be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer Scenic Rim Regional Council PO Box 25 BEAUDESERT QLD 4285 ABN: 45 596 234 931 Beaudesert Administration Centre P: 07 5540 5111 F: 07 5540 5103 Boonah Administration Centre P: 07 5463 3000 F: 07 5463 2650 E: mail@scenicrim.qld.gov.au W: https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/ Minutes Ordinary Meeting Wednesday, 28 January 2026 Time: 9:00 am Location: Council Chambers 82 Brisbane Street BEAUDESERT QLD 4285 Ordinary Meeting Minutes 28 January 2026 Scenic Rim Regional Council Ordinary Meeting Wednesday, 28 January 2026 Minutes 1 Opening of Meeting ............................................................................................