Resignation over ‘disrespectful’ decision

THE decision not to appoint an indigenous Australian as chair of Toowoomba Regional Council’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory committee has been described by the council’s only indigenous councillor as “nothing short of disrespectful”.

After resigning from the committee earlier this month, Cr Cahill was replaced at yesterday’s ordinary council meeting by Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan.

Speaking yesterday, Cr Cahill said his resignation was “not about him”, but that “it’s about the message we send to the broader community, and I think it’s nothing short of disrespectful to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community”.

“That’s why I’ve taken my position not to be involved in this.”

COUNCILLOR Bill Cahill has resigned from Toowoomba Regional Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory committee, saying the decision not to appoint an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander as chair of the committee was “nothing short of disrespectful”.

Explaining his resignation from the committee, Cr Cahill said his decision was “not about him” as the only indigenous councillor.

“It’s about the message we send to the broader community ... That’s why I’ve taken my position not to be involved in this,” he said.

The council yesterday voted to replace him with Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan.

Cr Cahill said a council officer had originally recommended, on advice from parts of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, that the committee chair should be an Aboriginal person.

“Council, a week prior (to the establishment of the committee’s terms of reference) in a briefing session, chose not to follow that recommendation,” he said.

Cr Cahill said at that point, he made it clear that as an indigenous person, he would like to chair the group. He also said there were no objections when he made the suggestion.

A week later, at the council’s October ordinary meeting, Cr Cahill lost a narrow vote to be installed as chair of the group.

Cr Geoff McDonald was voted in as chair.

Yesterday, Cr McDonald said he was pleased to be a part of the organisation “with a clear and concise goal of forming a reconciliation plan and also looking at cultural and arts tourism”.

He said nominations for positions on the committee would close on December 7.