Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to pay tribute to the life of Lockyer Valley mayor Steve Jones, who sadly passed away at 7 pm last Friday. Steve suffered a very severe brain bleed and, regrettably, passed into glory after a life of commitment to the people of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council. Personally, on behalf of my family and the people of Blair, I pay my sincere condolences to his wife, Ann, who I know; his sons James, Dale and Brandon and their partners; and his granddaughter Avery.

I first got to know Steve in 2004 when I ran for the seat of Blair. From the creation of the seat of Blair in 1998 until 2010, Lockyer Valley was in Blair. Thereafter, Steve almost adopted me as his surrogate Labor shadow for the area. I note the member for Wright in the chamber. I am sure he will pay tribute to Steve as well.

Steve was first elected as a councillor on the old Gatton Shire Council in 1997. He served as mayor in the inaugural Lockyer Valley council in 2008. He will always be remembered for his great commitment to the people of Lockyer Valley in the floods in 2010, when I took Simon Crean to visit the area, for the relocation of Grantham after the devastation of the floods in 2011 and for the recovery of the eastern part of the Lockyer Valley in 2013. Vale Steve: you served your community very, very well.

See this speech in context