Weekly column from Council Courier e-newsletter by CEO Greg Hallam, Friday 26 February 2016.
As this week’s column is published many of us will be attending the funeral of the late Lockyer Valley Mayor Cr Steve Jones AM in Gatton.
Much has been said in the past week regarding his tragic passing. He died in office, at work and doing what he loved. As President Margaret de Wit and I have said many times in the media over the past seven days,
Steve was larger than life, unique and quintessentially Australian. He was of the people. Cr de Wit put it most poignantly: he was the champion of the battlers .What greater epitaph could be bestowed upon a civic leader when they leave public office.
His deeds during the Lockyer Valley’s most difficult times - the horrific natural disasters just on five years ago - will be the stuff of legend through the ages in the Lockyer region.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his widow Ann and their three sons. I'm especially minded of the selfless and unseen sacrifices that the partners of mayors and elected members make in supporting their other half. In this case, it was an extremely heavy and ongoing burden.
We thank the State Government for its swift and reasonable response to postpone the Lockyer Valley council election by full postal ballot to 16 April. The Government asked for and listened to what advice the council and the LGAQ had regarding the most effective and fair way forward and acted promptly to provide certainty and stability to the Council and the community. Well done.
Vale Cr Steve Jones AM.