Minute With The Mayor - Mayor Ramon Jayo

I would like to formally recognise and congratulate Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, Carenda Jenkin, on recently being named Queensland's Communications Professional of the Year at the Local Government Association of Queensland's LGx Awards for Excellence.

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This is a significant achievement when you consider that the award recognises communication excellence across local government in Queensland.  

It is a highly competitive field, particularly given the size, resources and budgets available to many of the larger city councils throughout the state. In my view, Carenda's success reflects her exceptional ability to communicate effectively and her deep understanding of regional communities.

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Carenda has spent almost 25 years telling the stories of country towns, local people, volunteers, businesses and community organisations. She understands that communication is not just about sharing information.  

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It is about connecting people, building trust and helping communities understand what is happening around them.

Communication in local government is critical. It is important that our community remains informed about what Council is doing, what we are proposing to do and what we are delivering on behalf of residents. That is what accountability is all about. Effective communication ensures information is shared openly and the community has the knowledge it needs to understand Council's decisions and actions.

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Since joining Hinchinbrook Shire Council in June 2025, Carenda has thrown herself into the role. If you have ever worked with her, you will know there is very little she will not put her hand up for. Whether it is helping community groups, supporting Council projects, promoting tourism opportunities, advocating on major issues or communicating during disaster events, she genuinely cares about achieving positive outcomes for the people of Hinchinbrook.

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Community members have already commented on the improved flow of information coming from Council over the past year, and that is something we want our community to become accustomed to and can be confident will continue.

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One of my biggest concerns arising from the 2025 flood event was our inability to get information out to the community as quickly and effectively as we would have liked. At a time of crisis, our community needed timely and accurateinformation. While widespread power outages and the resulting loss of communication capabilities were major factors, we also navigated the early stages of that event without dedicated communications expertise. That created significant challenges for Council. Fortunately, we have now addressed that gap through securing the services of Carenda, whose expertise will continue to strengthen our communications capability into the future.

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On behalf of Council and the Hinchinbrook community, congratulations, Carenda, on this well-deserved recognition. We are incredibly proud of your achievement and grateful for the contribution you continue to make to our organisation and our community.

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