General News
4 September, 2025
Cr McDonald resigns disaster management role
Councillor resigns from role
Awards are being handed out for disaster resilience by the Queensland Premier, just as a new storm season lurks on the horizon, but the Southern Downs has lost its most experienced disaster manger.
Cr Cynthia McDonald has resigned from her position as the Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) after years of watching the backs of residents of the Southern Downs. The circumstances are unclear.
It's a job she has always taken seriously and with her long military career and deep knowledge of the region, she was an ideal fit. Cr McDonald regularly urged the community to be prepared for bushfires, floods and other natural menaces. She was extremely active in her role during flooding events last year and earlier this year.
In fact, in 2019, The Courier Mail reported that the “Southern Downs drought response [was] dubbed best in Australia”.
Only last month, The Town & Country Journal asked Cr McDonald questions about the long-term forecast for the region and whether the Southern Downs was adequately prepared. Her responses, as Chair of the LDMG, were extensive, detailed and contained pertinent advice to residents.
The SDRC did not announce Cr McDonald’s resignation and when the Town & Country Journal asked Cr McDonald to comment, she cited the new media policy restrictions for not speaking to the situation:
“Given the new media policy, I will refrain from making comments. The Mayor is the SDRC spokesperson. As this is no longer my portfolio, I cannot comment.”
Cr McDonald voted and spoke against the adoption of the media policy in the last ordinary meeting of council.
A source familiar with the matter told The Town & Country Journal that there appeared to be increasing frustration concerning autonomy in her role as Chair of the LDMG. We asked council to explain the circumstances that led to Cr McDonald’s decision but they did not.
Instead, a spokesperson for council confined comments to confirming the resignation: “Councillor Cynthia McDonald recently stepped down as the Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) and a decision to appoint a new Chair will be made at the next Ordinary Council Meeting. Council and the LDMG thank Councillor McDonald for her leadership during her appointment.”
The Town & Country Journal understands that Mayor Melissa Hamilton was not available to make comment and did not reach out to her.
