POPULAR chef Matt Golinski‘s role as the region’s Food Ambassador has been put on the chopping block as Gympie Regional Council reviews the role.

Councillors voted 8-1 to not renegotiate Mr Golinski’s contract at last week’s meeting.

Jess Milne was the dissenting voice, saying the council risked not being able to bring Mr Golinski back if it turned out he was the best option.

“What are we replacing that with?” Ms Milne said.

Mr Golinski had held the role since 2014.

The proposed new $16,000, eight month contract to secure Mr Golinski was to be focused around his online profile in the wake of COVID.

However communications manager Sharna Rowley the council could not make good on what it promised in the deal.

“We wouldn’t have been able to deliver, hand on heart … we didn’t have the internal resource to be able to do that,” Mrs Rowley said.

Councillors in support of the motion said the decision was not a reflection of Mr Golinski’s work but instead caused by the need to review whether the council was getting value for money.

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It was revealed at the October council meeting that no KPIs or metrics to evaluate the success of the role.

Mayor Glen Hartwig said at that meeting it was concerning the council reached the end of the latest contract without other options having been put out for consideration.

“It’s hard to compare value for money when there’s no other options available,” Mr Hartwig said.

Dan Stewart was among the councillors to lament how the council had reached the end of the contract with any investigation into other options ever being done.

“It’s unfortunate this homework was not done six or 12 months ago,” Mr Stewart said.

In a post on his Facebook page Mr Golinski thanks everyone he had met during his five year run.

“I’ve learnt so much and have made so many dearly valued friends,” Mr Golinski said.

“Of course I’ll continue being an unofficial ambassador for all the producers in the region and supporting them in any way I can.”