Mayor and Councillor profiles
Profiles of Mayor and Councillors
Conduct and performance of Councillors
Councillor related policies and documents
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Cr Matt Burnett
Mayor
Office: (07) 4970 0700
mayor@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2000,
Mayor 2016 - present
Gladstone Region
Mayor Matt Burnett was born and raised in the Gladstone Region with his family’s connection to the region extending six generations. He is a former small business operator and qualified journalist, having started his own newspaper, The Port Curtis Post, at the age of 19.
He has served in local government since 2000, including five years as Deputy Mayor prior to his election as Mayor. During his time in local government, Cr Burnett served as Chairman of Technical Services with Gladstone City Council and as portfolio representative in Technical Services, Infrastructure Services and Town Planning with Gladstone Regional Council after amalgamation in 2008.
Cr Burnett has always had the best interests of the community at heart and as Mayor, he draws upon the experience he has gathered over his years in Council to ensure those interests remain a key consideration as the region continues to grow and develop.
Cr Burnett brings an inclusive style of leadership to Council, ensuring the thoughts and views of his fellow councillors, council officers, business and industry leaders, community groups and organisations and community members are all heard and taken into consideration.
Cr Burnett represents Central Queensland on the Local Government Association of Queensland as Policy Executive, is a Director on the LGAQ Board and is Vice President of the Australian Local Government Association.
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) Director and Vice President
- Central Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (CQROC) Director
- Gladstone Local Disaster Management GroupChair/Recovery Coordinator
- Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Director and Policy Executive Member.
Cr Natalia Muszkat
Deputy Mayor
Mobile: 0436 646 201
Natalia.Muszkat@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2018
Councillor Natalia Muszkat is an experienced manager, facilitator, community development professional. She moved to the Gladstone Region in 2007 and lives in Tannum Sands with her partner and two teenage sons.
Cr Muszkat is passionate about community and human services. In her 15 years in the Gladstone Region she has been instrumental in delivering traineeships for disadvantaged job seekers, domestic and family violence prevention programs, community development programs and art and culture projects.
She is a proud co-founder of not-for-profit enterprise, Strong Communities Ltd, delivering evidence-based programs for children, parents, families and organisations in regional and rural communities. Cr Muszkat maintains her roles as Vice President of the QCWA Tannum Sands branch and secretary of the Gladstone University of the Third Age.
Cr Muszkat has a Bachelor in Workplace Health and Safety (with Distinction), a Diploma in Business Governance and is a Fellow of the Institute of Community Directors Australia. In her free time, she enjoys doing all things craft and gardening as well as reading about history, politics and culture.
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Audit Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) Council Representative
- Central Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (CQROC) Director.
- Coastal Council Adaptation Taskforce (C-CAT) Executive Committee
- Gladstone Local Disaster Management Group Deputy Chair
- Gladstone Local Marine Advisory Committee Coastal Hazards Adaption Strategy (CHAS) Chair
- Gladstone Region Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Reference Group Co-Chair.
Cr Chris Cameron
Councillor
Mobile: 0487 517 486
Chris.Cameron@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2020
Councillor Chris Cameron moved to Gladstone from Mackay in 1999 to take charge of a joint venture housing development. Cr Cameron has three adult children and nine grandchildren. His partner, Lenore who is a clinical nurse and a successful businesswoman is a Gladstone resident of more than 40 years. Cr Cameron’s background is building and property development. He was involved in substantial construction work for mining companies, Blair Athol Coal and Oaky Creek Coal in the Central Highlands.
He has been a Queensland Master Builder member for more than 40 years and a member of the Australian Institute of Building, Queensland Chapter (MAIB) for over 40 Years. Since semi-retirement, he has continued to work in the building industry carrying out project management roles, building consultancy work and dispute resolution. He continues to support the building industry as a volunteer judge for the annual Qld Master Builders Housing and Construction Awards.
Cr Cameron is a proud Rotarian of 30 years, having served as President, Secretary and on various board positions. He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship for services to Rotary and the Gladstone community. Further to his Rotary service, he has been involved in Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) projects overseas, travelling to the Solomon Islands to participate in a humanitarian effort. In his earlier days, he was a past Lions President and a member of Apex.
Cr Cameron has always been highly active and supportive of his local community. Since being elected, he has enjoyed his role as Councillor in the Gladstone Regional Council and being part of the decision-making team to help shape the Gladstone Region into the future.
Cr Glenn Churchill
FIML, MAICD, MBWA
Councillor
Mobile: 0407 289 139
Glenn.Churchill@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2016
Gladstone Regional Council;
Banana Shire 1997-2008
Councillor Glenn Churchill has been a resident of the Gladstone Region and Central Queensland for more than 33 years. He has gained extensive experience, knowledge, and wisdom through his 20 years in local government as Mayor and Councillor. Together with his wife Sue and family, Cr Churchill has served the business, sporting, not-for-profit, charity, tourism and communities across our region through many different avenues in public life.
He is a Chairman of the Gladstone Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC), a Diamond Life Member of the Queensland Police-Citizens Youth Welfare Association (QPCYWA). Glenn spent seven years appointed as the Gladstone Area Promotion Development Ltd (GAPDL) Chief Executive Officer, advocating for our Region.
Cr Churchill is Chair of the Disaster Recovery Committee (Infrastructure), Member of the Gladstone and District Sports Foundation Trust, Director of the Gladstone Airport Corporation Board, member of Gladstone Safe Night Precinct and recently spent six years as Chair of Gladstone Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF).
Cr Churchill previously protected the community for 27 years as a Queensland Police Officer. He strongly believes in giving back to the community as a volunteer. He is a qualified teaching and performing percussionist with International Percussion Society, Gladstone Thistle Pipes and Drums and an active local performing musician with Country Rock group SAND.
Cr Churchill strongly believes in working together in harmony to help foster a culture of civic pride in the region and its communities, valuing the contribution of our various industries, community groups and rural producers, while recognising the vital work Council does every day with support, innovation, connection and diversity for the benefit of our region and communities.
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Gladstone Airport Corporation Board of Directors
- Gladstone and District Sports Foundation Trust
- Gladstone Local Disaster Management Group (Infrastructure) Chair.
Cr Karen Davis
Councillor
Mobile: 0458 609 187
Karen.Davis@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2024
Councillor Karen Davis has lived in Gladstone for 56 years attending Gladstone Central State School and finishing her schooling at Gladstone State High School. She married her husband Andrew in 1988 in Gladstone and has three adult children.
Cr Davis has worked as a conveyancer for more than 25 years at various local law firms as well as owning and running small businesses in Gladstone with her husband. Being a newly elected 2024 Councillor on the Gladstone Regional Council, she has the best interests of the community at heart.
Cr Davis brings with her local knowledge and understanding from growing up, living and working in the Gladstone Region. Growing up in the region has given Cr Davis firsthand experience of changes and growth over the years and gives her an understanding of the issues that the region has faced and its challenges moving forward.
Cr Davis loves that the Gladstone Region has so much diversity – from the Boyne Valley to the Southern Great Barrier Reef – on our doorstep and looks forward to playing her part in its continued growth and sustainability as an elected member.
She wants to contribute to the direction of Council by offering a commonsense approach to local government, as well as being a strong voice for the community.
Qualifications
- Conveyancer
- Commissioner for Declarations (Cdec).
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Ltd (GAPDL)
- Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership
- Gladstone Local Marine Advisory Committee
- Reef Guardian Council Executive Committee.
Cr Leanne Patrick
Councillor
Mobile: 0460 880 117
Leanne.Patrick@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2024
Growing up in Brisbane, Councillor Leanne Patrick always felt a deep connection to regional Queensland, where her roots trace back through generations.
In 1997 Cr Patrick married her childhood sweetheart Nathan. Together they welcomed their sons William and Harrison into the world in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
For more than two decades, Cr Patrick dedicated herself to dentistry, even venturing abroad to study and work at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. In 2013, the Patricks seized the opportunity to own and operate McDonald’s in Boyne Island.
Relocating to Tannum Sands, Cr Patrick found herself immersed in the serene beauty of the Gladstone Region. Her profound love for the region and its people ignited a passion for community involvement, leading her to advocate for and volunteer at multiple organisations, clubs, and industry-based companies. Cr Patrick’s journey, including her participation in the QUT Pathways to Politics for Women program, led her to pursue a career in local government.
Fuelled by her commitment to prioritising the needs of the community, Cr Patrick ran for office with a simple yet powerful pledge: to champion a ‘Community First’ approach, ensuring the Gladstone Region thrives as a place where every individual can contribute and succeed.
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Audit Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) Alternate
- Discovery Coast Community Reference Group with the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service
- GAPDL Communities for Children Advisory Committee
- Gladstone Port Welfare Committee
- Gladstone Region Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Reference Group
- Gladstone Region Youth Council Representative
- Gladstone Regional Council SES Management Group
- Gladstone Saiki Sister City Advisory Committee
- Philip Street Communities and Families Precinct Advisory Committee.
Cr Mellissa Holzheimer
Councillor
Mobile: 0437 832 437
Mellissa.Holzheimer@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2024
Councillor Mellissa Holzheimer has more than 20 years of experience working alongside the Gladstone Region’s most vulnerable community members.
Cr Holzheimer has experience in leadership, community engagement, training and development within the community services sector. Cr Holzheimer has lived most of her life in the Gladstone Region and married her husband Matt in 2008. She comes from a large family and is one of 10 children.
Cr Holzheimer’s passion for the community sector started as a disability support worker when leaving school and worked her way up through her passion for learning and personal development. Cr Holzheimer describes herself as someone who works hard but quietly in the background to assist others to reach their potential.
Cr Holzheimer has a deep passion for social justice and creating a community that can meet all its residents’ needs through a thoughtful, considerate approach.
Cr Holzheimer’s career has seen her working in the disability, child protection and mental health spaces, supporting families and staff working with those families for them to gain the skills and support they need to reach their potential.
Cr Holzheimer has also owned her own business since 2021. This business is about creating resilience for women who have lived experience of disability or chronic health. Cr Holzheimer has received a fully funded scholarship with QUT to complete the Pathway to Politics course, which has helped her in developing confidence in her voice for the Gladstone Region. Cr Holzheimer also has other qualifications in non-traditional fields like mindset coaching, kinesiology and is studying to become a Qigong practitioner (a Chinese system of physical exercise and breath work related to Tai Chi).
Qualifications
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
- Diploma in Child, Youth & Family Intervention
- Diploma in Community Services.
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Audit Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC)
- Capricorn Pest Management Group
- Circular Economy Advisory Group
- Gladstone Local Disaster Management Group (Environment) Chair
- Gladstone Region Youth Council Representative
- Local Authorities Waste Management Action Committee (LAWMAC)
- LGAQ Waste Management
- Philip Street Communities and Families Precinct Advisory Committee
- Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) Committee.
Cr Michelle Wagner
Councillor
Mobile: 0483 360 456
Michelle.Wagner@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2024
Councillor Michelle Wagner’s career has centred on business strategy and management, communications, community engagement, marketing, journalism and teaching. As an active community volunteer, Cr Wagner is a member of several sporting and community groups and formerly served on the Board of Gladstone Women’s Health Inc.
Cr Wagner is an advocate for community health and wellbeing, youth engagement and has a keen interest in weed and pest management and control to reduce the economic, environmental and social impact on our region. In addition, her vision is to have the region grow into a desired tourism destination and to position itself as ‘The Region of Choice’ in Australia for liveability and work opportunities.
As a future-focused elected representative, Cr Wagner strives to ensure the region gets its fair share of benefit from industrial and green energy growth, and that this growth is done responsibly. Cr Wagner aims for residents to be represented with respect and understanding, treated fairly and consistently and norms to be challenged when needed. Cr Wagner’s vision is to have a region where every community benefits from well considered local government planning and governance and residents are genuinely respected, listened to and represented fairly.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts (Journalism, Public Relations, Psychology)
- Bachelor of Learning Management (with Distinction)
- Diploma of Human Resources
- Diploma of Management
- Diploma of Business
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Audit Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) Alternate
- Capricorn Pest Management Group
- Gladstone Local Disaster Management Group (Human and Social) Chair
- Transport Environment Advisory Group.
Cr Simon McClintock
Councillor
Mobile: 0461 573 756
Simon.McClintock@gladstone.qld.gov.au
First elected: 2024
Grounded in a rich family legacy of community leadership and service, Councillor Simon McClintock embodies values of compassion, generosity and a deep-seated commitment to aiding those in need. From a young age, Cr McClintock has actively participated in diverse community initiatives, both locally and internationally, dedicating his time and resources to support individuals and organisations.
As the founder of a local social enterprise cafe, Cr McClintock has played a pivotal role in creating avenues of opportunity for individuals facing adversity and life challenges. By forging partnerships with local support services, Cr McClintock has facilitated assistance and employment opportunities for those living with additional needs.
Steered by values of integrity, empathy, and transparency, Cr McClintock approaches leadership and community involvement with steadfast dedication. He actively listens to the concerns of community members, advocating for policies that prioritise people over politics. Cr McClintock is committed to challenging convention and strives towards a brighter future for all.
Cr McClintock envisions a community where every voice is heard and diversity is celebrated as a cornerstone of strength. His vision for local governance revolves around inclusivity, honesty, and compassion, ensuring decisions are made with the broader community’s best interests at heart.
Whether you are seeking guidance or simply want to engage in conversation, Cr McClintock warmly invites you to reach out. He believes when we better understand others together, we can sculpt a region we are all proud to call home.
Boards, Committees, Groups
- Gladstone Local Disaster Management Group (Economic) Chair
- Gladstone Region LNG Community Consultative Committee
- Gladstone Regional Road and Transport Group Alternate
- Gladstone Saiki Sister City Advisory Committee
- Queensland Beef Corridors Steering Committee
- Rural Fire Brigades Advisory Group
- Transport Environment Advisory Group.
