Councillor Steve Cooper will continue in the role of Deputy Mayor for another 12 months following a decision in today’s Bundaberg Regional Council Ordinary Meeting.
The meeting, held on Tuesday 31 March 2026, called for nominations for the role of Deputy Mayor after the Council determined at the beginning of its term in 2024 that the role would be reviewed every 12 months.
Councillor Bill Trevor nominated Cr Cooper for Deputy Mayor from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, referencing the positive impact the continuity of the role would have at the present time.
Cr Cooper happily accepted the nomination and the support of Council to continue as Deputy Mayor for another 12 months.
“Thank you to my fellow Councillors for their support in this role,” Cr Cooper said during the meeting.
“We are in a position at the moment where there is a lot of [investment] activity going on.
“I will be more than happy to continue in this role for another 12 months.”
Mayor Helen Blackburn said Cr Cooper had provided a wealth of experience and support as Deputy Mayor in the last 12 months.
“An important aspect of the role of Deputy Mayor is stepping in to represent the Mayor on behalf of Council at events and forums for which I have conflicting events,” Mayor Blackburn said.
“Unfortunately I frequently have scheduling clashes and whether or not you reference the recent flood event where he provided solid support or weekend community events, Cr Cooper has made himself available to represent Council wherever possible.
“He has also been a wonderful advocate for the Bundaberg Region through meetings with potential investors, on the board of Bundaberg Tourism and in discussions with commercial airlines for the consideration of additional flights and routes from our region.”
At the same Council meeting, the appointment of Councillors to committees and other bodies was also reviewed and saw a number of updates including:
- Cr Carmen McEneany replacing Cr Jason Bartels as Deputy Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group
- Cr Bartels replacing Cr Larine Statham-Blair as a representative of the Planning and Development committee, alongside existing Councillor representatives
- The Finance portfolio holder replacing the Governance portfolio holder on the Chief Executive Officer Performance Appraisal panel, alongside existing Councillor representatives
Cr Cooper was first nominated as Deputy Mayor in 2025.
