THIS year the Southern Downs Regional Council's staff Christmas party will double as a team building exercise involving all employees and councillors, says new CEO Andrew Roach, who is working to achieve the goal of "one council, one team".

His comments follow concerns raised with the Daily News by council staff concerned at a directive to attend a function at a mystery location next Thursday afternoon, while council offices and libraries close down for several hours.

The employees, who did not wish to be identified, said they had been told non-attendance would be put down as sick leave - a claim denied yesterday by Mr Roach - and expressed concerns about cost and inconvenience to the community by holding the function in working hours.

But Mr Roach was yesterday adamant the Christmas function, which has been held in working hours for the last several years, would this year be the first of a formal series of activities to improve staff culture and team-building.

He said it followed a cultural survey completed before his appointment by all staff in September, which had led to the formation of a staff committee to come up with ideas on how to improve morale, with a bus trip to an undisclosed venue thought up by the committee members.

"Everyone, even the councillors and the mayor, will be jumping on the bus to the Christmas party," he said.

"It's one council, one team and one function."

The CEO said the Christmas do would still be a party, albeit a modest one.

"There will be a simple meal and a couple of beers and wine," Mr Roach said.

"The most important thing is to build one team for one council and myself and Mayor Blundell will be talking to the staff about that.

"The function will be held from 1-4pm next Thursday at a mystery location, a private venue somewhere between Stanthorpe and Warwick."

Mr Roach said it was appropriate that the Christmas party would be funded from the $10,000 "Performance Frontier" budget set aside for team-building activities, with Mr Roach saying a series of related workshops would follow in the new year.

"If we do this right, we will have better performance of the council overall for the community," he said.

Council closures

Council offices and libraries will close at noon next Thursday December 13 for the staff Christmas function and will re-open at normal times on the Friday.

Council will also close for the Christmas break at 3pm on Monday December 24 and re-open on Wednesday January 2.