CHAIR (Mrs Irwin) —I declare open this public hearing. I welcome all witnesses and members of the public to the Petitions Committee hearing today into selected petitions. The hearing today is being conducted by a subcommittee comprising me and the member for Gippsland, Mr Darren Chester. I apologise on behalf of other committee members, who were hoping to get here but unfortunately had commitments with other committees or within their electorate.

Under the rules of the House of Representatives the Petitions Committee is required to consider if petitions comply with those rules. If so, the petitions may then be presented to the House and the committee may refer them to the relevant government minister for a response. We may also hold public hearings into petitions, allowing both principal petitioners and government agencies to consider further the concerns raised in petitions and the response made.

Today we are hearing from principal petitioners or their representatives. So that we can all be clear about the procedures that the subcommittee will follow today, I will outline them briefly now. I will invite witnesses to come to the table in turn to answer our questions individually or as representatives of an organisation. The subcommittee’s proceedings are being recorded by Hansard. If witnesses have any queries, the secretariat will assist them. I now invite principal petitioner, Councillor Peter Taylor, the Mayor of the Toowoomba Regional Council, to the table.

[9.38 am]