The man who secured 10, 000 megalitres of water for Toowoomba in the midst of a severe drought is retiring from 40 years in local government.
Toowoomba Council water and waste services manager Kevin Flanagan joined Toowoomba Regional Council in 1989 and was promoted to director of Engineering Services at Toowoomba City Council in 1999. He was then appointed as the general manager of water and waste for the newly amalgamated Toowoomba Regional Council in 2008.
Mr Flanagan has also been a member of the LGAQ water and sewerage advisory group since 2012.
Arron Hieatt, LGAQ senior advisor for water services and infrastructure said Mr Flanagan’s presence would be sorely missed in the advisory group.
“Mr Flanagan has been instrumental in providing advice and support to the advisory group in the formulation of important policy. We have been extremely fortunate and grateful to be in receipt of his valuable, esteemed and extensive experience and knowledge.” Mr Hieatt said.
In 2008, Mr Flanagan led negotiations with the State Government for the delivery of the Wivenhoe Pipeline, which secured 10,000 megalitres of water per year for Toowoomba.
Mayor Paul Antonio, who first worked with Mr Flanagan in the initial term on Toowoomba Regional Council, said the council was indebted to the accomplished engineer for his skills and work on the Wivenhoe Pipeline.
“This was catalytic in sustaining our region’s future and growth,” Mr Antonio said.
"Kevin leaves a range of legacies for this community but front of my mind will always be the way he oversaw council's water operations during one of the most difficult periods in history for this community
"We can never forget that during the first ten years of this century, Toowoomba and the surrounding region was in the grip of a severe drought and at its worst, we saw our water reserves dwindle to just over 7 percent.
"During this time our residents were subjected to the most severe water restrictions experienced anywhere in Australia. It was Kevin Flanagan's steady hand that guided Toowoomba City Council, and later Toowoomba Regional Council through that journey."
Mr Antonio said Mr Flanagan had helped give Toowoomba "50 years of water safety".