Billy Russell is proof that it’s never too late to begin a career with Quilpie Shire Council. From a mature-age Apprentice Plumber to a Work Health and Safety Officer, Billy has continually seized opportunities to learn, upskill and make his role his own. Now raising a family in the community he grew up in, Billy is making a real, hands-on difference for Quilpie and his career.
Plumbers have a diverse toolkit of skills. They’re hands-on problem solvers who are always up for a challenge. But when the water supply is around 80 degrees Celsius – as it is in Quilpie Shire, where our water emerges from the Great Artesian Basin – that’s a whole different ballgame!
But for Billy Russell, that’s what made his role as a Plumber both unique and rewarding.
“When a water main bursts, the water out here is really hot, so you’ve got to be switched on,” Billy says. “I’ve spent most of my trade putting new water mains in, so we’re getting fewer bursts as we go along. We also get a range of odd jobs, like putting in irrigation lines. It’s a mixture of work – I enjoy the variety.”
Plumbing was never on Billy’s radar for a potential career path. Yet, when a plumbing apprenticeship became available at Quilpie Shire Council in 2018, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I’d been looking to join the Council, so I started as a mature-age Apprentice Plumber. They put me through my Certificate III in Plumbing and Gas and Certificate III in Water Operations. This place is really good like that – they’re always happy to put you through any training you need for the job. After four years, I was signed off and got a full-time position.”
Billy didn’t just sit back once he was qualified. He stepped up to Acting Supervisor for the Plumbing crew for four months and became an active work health and safety champion amongst the team.
“We put in a new water main when I was Acting Supervisor, and the Council acknowledged it a lot. At the Christmas party, our crew got ‘The A-Team Award’ and I got the ‘Work Health and Safety Warrior Award’. That was a pretty proud moment.”
Recognised for his commitment to safety and getting the big jobs done, Billy was encouraged to progress further. He completed a Council-funded Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, and in late 2025, he became Quilpie Shire’s WHS Officer.
The support Billy received while growing his career was matched by the personal care Quilpie Shire showed him during a difficult time.
“This place has been good for me. This year (2025) has been a tough one for me personally, but Council has stood by me all throughout. When I needed some time off, they supported me. I like to believe they think everyone’s important enough.”
A Quilpie local since the age of five, Billy has fond memories of his free-to-roam childhood
“My childhood was amazing. Just the freedom and being safe. We were always out in the bush, at the rivers, at the swimming pool and the library. We were always doing something outside. You could walk down the street at any time. Everyone looked out for everyone.”
Quilpie may have changed over the past 30 years, but the friendliness and tight-knit community remain, and Billy is proud to raise his young family here.
“My son is five and hits big-kid school next year. It’s a great place for a kid to grow up. It gets bloody hot, but the town pool is free, so we spend a lot of time there in the summer. If you like the bush life, if you like fishing and being outdoors, it’s the perfect place for it.”
For Billy, the town’s vibrancy is a direct result of the Council’s commitment to serving residents and strengthening the community.
“The Council does great things for the community. Australia Day, Anzac Day, Christmas – they put on big parties for all that. They also put on lots of shows and concerts. They get different comedians and musicians to come out, and it’s all free. What council does that?!”
In the end, Billy’s story is a clear win for both him and the Shire. He’s found a secure career path right where he belongs, proving Quilpie Shire Council is a great place to work and raise a family.
What does it take to find a place that truly feels like home? For Mobile Plant Technician, Kyle Thomson, it was trading one small town for an even smaller one! After a work injury, Kyle made the move to Quilpie and quickly found more than just a job. He found a welcoming community, a better work-life balance, and a down-to-earth team that looks after its people.
Kyle has never been one for the bright lights of the big city. Born and raised in Yarraman, a rural town northwest of Brisbane, he’s always preferred peace and quiet over hustle and bustle. But there was one place that offered an even greater chance for the life he wanted to live: Quilpie.
“Twelve years ago, my parents went on a working holiday. They got to Quilpie the second week, and they haven’t gone anywhere since,” Kyle says. “I came out to visit them over the years. I just liked the place and decided to shift.”
Kyle had spent 13 years as a mechanic working on heavy vehicles, but a back injury meant he could no longer drag himself under trucks and earthmoving equipment. So, when he first arrived in Quilpie in 2024, he took a step back and worked for himself, doing odd jobs.
Then, when the role of Mobile Plant Technician came up at Quilpie Shire Council, it offered exactly what he was looking for: greater stability, the chance to be part of a real team, and the balance to enjoy the life he wanted.
“You’re set on a time, you have your half-hour break, you’ve got your fortnightly RDO. If you’ve got problems and need time off, they look after you.”
Kyle is also now on the way to owning his own home through a unique Quilpie Shire initiative that offers houses to employees.
“When Council decides to sell one of their older houses, they put it to tender for workers first before they offer it to the public,” Kyle explains. “They give you all the information on the place so you can make an offer, and if they accept it, they ring you up with the good news.”
Kyle was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of that good news and now lives in his own slice of Outback paradise.
“It’s a little three-bedroom house and not bad at all,” he says. “It’s probably a kilometre, if that, from the workshop. They keep all the council houses pretty well maintained, so there’s generally not much you’ve got to do to them. Yep, so I’m pretty well set up now.”
Having spent most of his working life in Brisbane Valley farming country, Kyle was used to working on beat-up vehicles that “never saw water or grease”. At Quilpie Shire, he gets to service and repair a range of top-quality fleet and light vehicles – making his job significantly easier.
“We’ve got Toyota Hiluxes, Ford Rangers, dual trailers and all-terrain vehicles – I work on all of them. Everything is all maintained, everything’s greased, it all comes apart like it should, so you’re not getting cranky trying to do stuff,” he laughs.
Kyle was pleasantly surprised by the exceptionally high standard of the workshop at Quilpie Shire, proving that although we’re a small council, we proudly punch above our weight.
“Quilpie definitely has one of the best set-up workshops,” Kyle says. “Everything’s new and in date. It’s got evaporative air-conditioning, so you just crank that up and it keeps the place pretty cool.”
Since joining Quilpie Shire, Kyle has also been encouraged to upskill and make his role his own.
“I’ve been to a Hastings training course down at Roma and I got my forklift ticket. They offer all of that – truck licences, machinery licences. If you need any assistance with getting any of those, they’ll help you as best they can.”
Quilpie is the kind of place where people get together and make their own fun – and that’s just how Kyle likes it. After knock-off and on weekends, you’ll often find him clay target shooting with the Quilpie Sporting Clays Club, playing lawn bowls or fishing for yellowbelly at Bulloo River just outside of town.
“Lifestyle is the biggest thing here. It’s a real nice town; you fit in real easy. Everyone will come up and have a yarn with you, and if you go to a club or an event, you always leave with more mates than you started off with.”
Plus, with zero traffic, fresh air and vast skies, Kyle says he wouldn’t live or work anywhere else.
“Yeah, I love it out here. If you need to do basic clothes shopping, you just travel to Charleville, which is about two hours. And if you really want to go out and do a proper big shop, you head out to Roma, which is about 4.5 hours away. You make a weekend of it and treat yourself. I’d much rather that than deal with traffic any day.”
What matters most to you in life? For Lizette Waldron, it was a slower pace, better work-life balance and more quality time with her husband. At Quilpie Shire Council, she found all this and more. From a casual role to a full-time Customer Service Officer, Lizette’s story shows that at Quilpie, you can build a rewarding professional career with a council that’s proudly punching above its weight.
The moment Lizette first set foot in Quilpie for a visit, she felt a sense of coming home. It was a Saturday morning, and she was immediately greeted with welcoming hellos, friendly curiosity … and four job offers.
“Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. As soon as they found out we were thinking about moving here, the jobs started flowing my way,” Lizette laughs.
Quilpie, in the heart of Channel Country, was a far cry from where Lizette grew up in Tasmania. But she was no stranger to Outback Queensland. She and her husband had been living in Roma for seven years, but were ready for a lifestyle change.
“We wanted to slow down a bit. My husband was doing 16-hour days and was never home. So, for us, moving to Quilpie meant he would be home more often and we could spend a lot more time together.”
The move not only meant Lizette’s husband could continue his career, but it also paved the way for Lizette’s own professional future with Quilpie Shire Council.
Drawing on her experience in small business and local government in Tasmania, Lizette started a casual role at our Visitor Information Centre. Within months, she transitioned to permanent part-time and helped the team win silver at the 2024 Australian Tourism Awards – a success that helped open the door to her current full-time position as a Customer Service Officer.
“I’m a people person, so I love the contact I have with Council staff and community members. I’ve been living in Quilpie for two years, so most people know me now, and they know I work at Council. I like being that friendly face and voice for people.”
Most importantly, Lizette has found the balance and down-to-earth community she’d been seeking: “Moving to Quilpie has definitely given us the quality of life we were looking for. Everywhere you go, people say hello, they ask how you’re going. It’s just a great place, great community.”
As a Customer Service Officer, Lizette is a friendly first point of contact for our community. Her role is full of variety – from customer phone calls and over-the-counter enquiries to record management and supporting our departments.
Although her days are full, Lizette and her team make sure they inject Council’s core value of “fun and humour” into every day.
“Absolutely, everyone does have a sense of fun and humour here. My team has what we call ‘Friday fun’, where we gather snacks, enjoy a little chit chat every now and then, and have a bit of fun and laughter. I think the culture is just more personalised here than at a larger council. People are always checking in to see if you’re OK.”
This supportive work environment naturally extends to Council’s dedication to serving the community in times of need. For Lizette, this commitment became powerfully evident during the record-breaking floods that devastated much of Western Queensland in March 2025, when the Council played a vital role in supporting evacuated residents who had lost their homes and livelihoods.
“There was real pride at the Council in being able to help these people be safe,” Lizette reflects. “Most of them had lost everything. It really was amazing to watch everyone step up and be part of that team effort. I was proud to be part of that.”
Beyond this crisis response, Quilpie’s vibrant community spirit shines in year-round events and activities. Lizette enjoys attending community gatherings throughout the year, including Outback Opera – a unique performance by the Queensland Opera beneath the majestic Outback night sky.
A former hockey player who represented Australia at masters level, Lizette has also embraced our thriving golfing community, swapping her hockey stick for a golf club on the unique sand greens of the Quilpie Golf Course.
“My husband and I also like to get away in our van on weekends and explore. Just last weekend, we went for a drive out to Windorah to have a look at the wildflowers blooming. But there’s always something happening in Quilpie – there is always an event on, so it is never, ever a boring weekend!”
Since moving to Quilpie in 2023, Lizette has grown from someone seeking a change to a community champion. As Quilpie Shire Council works towards growing from 700 to 1,000 residents, she is energised by being part of that ambitious vision.
“We’re definitely going in the right direction,” Lizette says. “I’m excited to be part of the team and helping to achieve that.”
Her own journey – from casual visitor information role to full-time Customer Service Officer – demonstrates the career pathways possible at Council.
“If you’re looking for a challenge, Council has so many good projects to be part of. There are lots of different areas and job opportunities, so if you come out here and find you like what you’re doing, great. But there are always other avenues to explore as well.”
Give Sharon Frank a spreadsheet and a swathe of numbers to crunch, and this accountant is in her element. Since coming to Quilpie in 2022, Sharon has kept us on track as Manager of Finance and Administration. However, when we caught up with her, in August 2025, she was pleased to share an upcoming promotion to Director of Corporate – a testament to her leadership skills and passion for Quilpie’s future. Learn about Sharon’s Quilpie Shire journey.
Sharon Frank is a quick study when it comes to reading council dynamics. With more than 20 years of experience in regional councils, she can walk into any council meeting and almost immediately sense how well a council is functioning. It’s the way people relate to each other, the ease with which they broach issues, and the way they work towards a solution that everyone is comfortable with.
So, when Sharon attended her first Quilpie Shire Council meeting in May 2022, she was keen to see what she’d find. We’re pleased to report that Sharon was instantly sold.
“When you’re working at the executive level alongside elected members, it becomes so important what the council is like. In that initial meeting at Quilpie Shire, I could see they made sound decisions. They considered all the materials. They were strategic and strong on advocacy. That’s what attracted me,” Sharon shares. “I thought, ‘This is a place where you’re going to feel valued and respected, where you can have discussions and courageous conversations and all work together.’”
That perception has only been reinforced in the years since. A strong believer in making decisions based on facts and needs, not ego or politics, Sharon found that Quilpie Shire Council is the perfect place for an executive to do just that.
“At the council table here, everyone listens to different points of view. Together we identify the best parts of each idea and come up with a wonderful plan. That’s good governance and that’s the way it should be, and that’s what I love about Quilpie Shire Council. It’s a role-model council in my worldview.”
As the wife of a police officer, Sharon is used to moving to new towns. No matter where she lands, she gives 100% – a commitment that holds true at Quilpie Shire Council. Sharon won’t stop until every number stacks up, ensuring her work always delivers the best result.
Her determination is a lifelong trait; something she proved by studying her commerce degree while looking after her four young children and working in local government, all at the same time!
“I don’t know how I did it, looking back!” Sharon laughs. “But I just loved accounting so much.”
We’re so glad she made that call to pursue her passion because, ultimately, it meant Sharon brought her talent and standard of excellence to help Quilpie Shire prosper. And she finds real meaning in doing so.
“I just love doing Council budgets and putting together the financial statements. I get so much satisfaction out of that because, to me, it’s the cornerstone of every aspect of what gets done at Council. You know, how do we fund this or that? What’s it going to cost? Can we afford it? And our statements, well, they are our financial report card to the community.”
To Sharon, producing an effective budget is intricately connected with ensuring the long-term sustainability of Quilpie itself.
“We want to be here in 20, 30, 50 years as a community and a council. We want our economy to grow. We are all very passionate about that. It’s about the community. It’s about us being financially sustainable and making sure we can keep delivering for Quilpie.”
One of our values at Quilpie Shire Council is fun and humour. But ask Sharon to share a story that demonstrates this value, and she just can’t do it.
“It’s hard to think of a specific event or moment because it’s just so ingrained in how we exist!” Sharon says. “Humour flows here; it’s part of the conversation and makes it a happier workplace. Remember, we’re probably spending more time with our work teams and our colleagues than we do with our own family during the working week. So, you don’t want to be miserable. You want to enjoy it!”
Sharon says this positive energy flows through the overall team culture, where someone will always lend you a hand whenever you need one.
“I’m a very strong advocate of the concept that we’re one council, we’re one team, we all work together. There’s no silos. So, if another department needs help and someone’s got capacity, absolutely, we can jump in and help. My own team is small; if someone’s away, you don’t have to ask – everyone just steps in to help, no questions asked.”
For Sharon, this is one way that Quilpie Shire Council fulfills its mantra of pushing for great and rising to every challenge.
“If we’re talking excellence, I think at Quilpie Shire Council, we live up to it because we have a team where every single person just does the right thing and plays their part. We produce quality outputs, but it’s not just about the outputs; it’s also about how we operate.”
Eng Lim is the type of person you want on your leadership team.
As Director, Infrastructure Services, his mindset is: ‘Why would you stick with good if there’s an opportunity for better?’ Eng is passionate about building resilience into Quilpie Shire’s strategy and operations, and it shows in his work. Find out how Eng is tackling innovative projects in a culture that supports big ideas.
Eng Lim had never heard of Quilpie Shire until he came across the job ad for his current role in mid-2024. He was working for a Victorian council at the time, but Eng’s interest was piqued when he learnt about our ambitious plans for Quilpie’s future.
“I read the Annual Report and thought it was great that this council had big plans. In my previous roles at other councils, I often had ideas that couldn’t progress due to budget constraints. At Quilpie Shire Council, I saw the financial capability to take on different work, and I liked that very much,” Eng says.
So, Eng applied, quickly secured the Director of Infrastructure role and joined our team in Spring 2024. And he’s pleased to report that we meant what we said.
“Whenever I have an idea that’s maybe outside the norm, I can put it across to get feedback from the CEO and councillors, they’ll say, ‘OK, this is what we can accept, this is what we think needs fine-tuning.’ You can actually do a lot of things out here. That’s a strong attraction for me as a Director – being able to influence positive change.”
Eng puts this down in part to the unique, enabling culture at Quilpie Shire.
“There’s no office politics you find in other places. Everyone helps each other out, and that means we can focus on problem solving. The Councillors are elected to represent the community’s interests, not political parties, and that creates a really collaborative and supportive environment,” Eng says. “So, when you invest time in coming up with ideas and solutions, you know you can get on with it. We’re not just preparing reports but actually delivering. It’s a very different environment, which I enjoy.”
Eng is in charge of the department responsible for roads, water supply, sewage, landscaping, town maintenance, building maintenance and garbage collection across Quilpie Shire. It’s our largest department, with approximately 40 staff, and since Eng started, he has wasted no time in asking questions, proposing new ideas and making them happen!
One of his most significant proposals to date focused on increasing the resilience of our 2,000km-plus road network, much of which is gravel. Quilpie Shire, situated in the flat Channel Country, is prone to flooding. Many roads get cut during floods, and when gravel roads flood, it can take months to repair them.
“I said, ‘OK, we know we have money for repairs. What can we do differently, and how do we tap into the local knowledge so we do it smarter?’” Eng says
In collaboration with the community and his team, Eng started by identifying the most important road stretches impacted by flooding – the critical links that connect the local economy. Eng wants these to be the first targets for sealing or concreting.
His long-term goal is ambitious and will pay real dividends for Quilpie Shire.
“We can’t build Rome in a day, and we can’t stop the floods or climate change. But having more resilient assets will allow us to recover faster. Once we have key road sections sealed, this will allow us to open these roads again just a day or two after floods, so traffic and cattle trucks can get through. It’ll mean we can recover faster, and it’s better for people’s mental wellbeing and better for the economy.”
As a child growing up in Malaysia, Eng was captivated by two things: astronomy and dinosaurs. Each week, he’d go to the public library and check out books on stars, supernovas and sauropods. When Eng moved to Quilpie to join our team, not only did he get to see the Milky Way in all its splendour, but he also got the unique opportunity to build a museum for Australia’s largest dinosaur! Talk about the stars aligning!
The dinosaur in question, affectionately known as Cooper, will be displayed in a three-storey-high gallery, so visitors can appreciate him in all his 30m-high glory. Eng is thrilled to be part of the team who will deliver this project.
“Not many people get the chance to be involved in building a dinosaur museum!” Eng laughs. “When it’s finished, it’ll be almost like in Jurassic Park, where you can see the dinosaur in front of you!”
Eng’s goal is to future proof the museum by making it resilient to climate change and ensuring it has low energy needs. If the budget allows, he’d like to work with an architect to incorporate used coffee grounds into the design. This is because recently, researchers found a way to convert coffee grounds into biochar, which can then be mixed with cement.
“We can’t build an entire museum with coffee,” Eng notes, “but we can probably use it to build some of the footpaths, and we will see if the cafes in town would like to contribute to the grounds. This brings in community participation and could help showcase the environmental aspects in the design.”
Eng says adopting ideas like this is all about showing that while Quilpie Shire Council may be small, with smart, motivated people, we can achieve great things.
“I always ask myself, once I know how to do something, ‘How do I do it better or faster?’ We have small teams, so it’s not about us working harder; it’s about us being excellent at what we do.”
Lisa Hamlyn, our Director of Community and Business Development, never wanted an office job. Sitting at a desk eight hours a day? No, thank you! So, what’s kept this outgoing former beautician in office-based roles with Quilpie Shire Council since 1994? Lisa says it’s the Quilpie Shire difference: endless opportunity, variety and the strong community connections she feels every single day.
It was only meant to be six weeks – a short getaway from city life, working at The Quilpie Hotel, pulling beers and taking orders. For Lisa, at a career crossroads, working in an Outback pub was an exciting adventure.
She’d never worked behind a bar before, and it showed. Yet, serving customers at the centrally located hotel proved a great way to get to know the town, and at the end of her six weeks, Lisa took the biggest leap of faith of her life. She traded her beautician job in Ipswich’s central business district for a life in Quilpie. So, what convinced her to stay?
“It was the community of Quilpie – that’s what hit me very quickly; what a cohesive and unique community it was. I got to meet a lot of people working in the hotel, and it became apparent very quickly that there was something special about Quilpie.”
Lisa’s family wasn’t convinced that she’d last long away from the nightclubs and designer shops of south east Queensland. They placed bets on when she’d return. But Lisa proved them all wrong, and she’s never regretted her decision.
What keeps her here is the community spirit, as well as the beauty of the country. It’s moments like seeing wild brolgas dancing, kangaroos hopping through the streets at dusk, and the spectacular Quilpie sunsets.
“I’m an absolute sunset tragic,” Lisa laughs. “It’s become this ritual to look out over my deck towards the west every evening, and if it’s a half-decent sunset, my camera’s always out. My sister lives in the city, and we have a bit of a competition going for the best sunset picture.
It might not surprise you to know who’s winning.
“Hands down, it’s me. I win all the time,” Lisa laughs.
Before joining Quilpie Shire Council, Lisa never pictured herself in a desk job. She figured she’d need more variety than an office role could give her. But Lisa has found more variety at Quilpie Shire Council than she ever could have imagined.
“The work here is anything but dull. In every role I’ve had here, there’s such a diverse range of issues you deal with. It’s the environments you’re exposed to as well. You learn something new every day. It’s a very integrated organisation, so you have the opportunity to experience a lot of things you wouldn’t necessarily have the chance to in larger centres.”
In her current role as Director of Community and Business Development, Lisa’s portfolio is incredibly diverse, including everything from pest and disaster management to community funding and events. She also oversees our NDIS, library swimming pool and health promotions programs, disaster management and Visitor Information and Tourism Centre.
All this means that in the space of one day, you might find Lisa catching up with Quilpie’s Pest Management Team to get an overview of Council’s feral weed control program. From there, she might check in on the latest exhibition at the Visitor Information Centre, before wrapping up the day coordinating activities for the next big town event. The key to managing it all, Lisa says, is a supportive team and opportunities to keep learning.
“I’ve always felt very supported in my career journey here, and I’ve met a lot of very knowledgeable people who’ve mentored me. The opportunities I’ve been given here you wouldn’t necessarily expect to experience anywhere else. I’m proud to have seen Council grow from a place of work that people thought was ‘just a job’ to a place that offers career paths. I think people have started to realise that.”
Since Lisa moved to Quilpie, she has seen her share of natural disasters. When the rains come, the rivers can flood. Generally this means inconvenience – townships might be isolated from mail and food deliveries for several days, due to road closures.
But that all changed with unprecedented flooding in March 2025. The event significantly affected many landholders as well as the small community of Adavale, an hour’s drive from Quilpie. However, the community’s response to the disaster only reinforced why Lisa chooses to live and work in Quilpie.
“There are a lot of lessons coming out of this disaster. We’re definitely working towards how we can prepare ourselves and the community for the future. But I’ve heard over and over again from many different people, from many different government departments and organisations, how impressed they were with the way the community pulled together.”
“The evacuees from Adavale were met at the airport and totally looked after. People were cooking for them and gave them children’s clothes and toys. In Quilpie itself, we had people going to the coffee van and putting $100 down just for landholders coming into town and other people who were flood affected. The community support has been incredible. It’s all part and parcel of small communities, but I do believe that there is something extra special about Quilpie.”
A strong community focus is important for everyone at Quilpie Shire Council. But in Lisa’s role, especially when it comes to overseeing Council-sponsored events, it’s something she lives and breathes.
“It definitely gives you a sense of pride to know that you’ve had a hand in being able to deliver events that really lift people up. Whether it’s during drought, when we coordinate a free comedy event that makes people laugh, or just being able to give the opportunity for social inclusion when people have been out on properties. All of that, I think, is really, really special.”
