Support floods in for city tribute

IF THE feedback from Toowoomba’s state MPs is anything to go by, then Queens Park has emerged as the preferred site for a new monument honouring our late monarch, Elizabeth II.

Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts said his office had received dozens of ideas about what the monument should look like, from a statue, to a plaque, to an oak tree or a garden in Queens Park.

“My favourite one that has come forward is a community tree, where we celebrate the Queen’s service and commitment to duty for 70 years by having a plaque and a tree and every year our best community servant here in Toowoomba gets a leaf added to the tree (in their name) for the next 70 years,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Toowoomba Regional Council started the process of building a monument by first calling on council staff to prepare a report detailing options and possible locations as well as the potential of securing state and federal government funding for the project.

Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki said he hoped there would be robust community consultation about a monument and raised the prospect of citizens covering part of the cost directly.

“I believe there would be private donors that feel significantly engaged in this to offer some financial contribution, particularly as a gift to the city,” Mr Janetzki said.

He also called on young people to get involved and make their voices heard on the issue.

“If anything has been clear of the past couple of weeks it is the grief for the Queen and acknowledgment of her service is across the generations,” Mr Janetzki said.