Long after she hands over the key to her mayoral office, Anne Baker's legacy will linger in the halls of Isaac Regional Council.
Through the mining towns she so passionately advocated for, to the agricultural industries she helped sustain, and the relationships she fostered over 17 years in local government - Cr Baker's name is held in high esteem.
But "it's time for Anne now", she says.
It's time, after a long, illustrious career to hand over the baton, with so far nominees for the position only including deputy mayor Kelly Vea Vea.
"The time is right. I've led a lot of high profile changes, to big legislative changes...(and) I just feel as though I need a break and want to take time to spend with family and poor forgotten friends," she said.
"I really feel as though I'm retiring from local government and leaving a legacy and a set pathway with major commitments."
Some of those milestones in her career include the Moranbah Hospital, fighting to stop mining giants from moving to 100 per cent Fly In Fly Out workers, the establishment of the Isaac Resource Centre of Excellence, and extra road funding - to which she says still needs more attention.
"We're about to lodge two applications to host country universities to work to retain people in the region...so they won't have to leave," she said.
"My decision to not contest the next election is predominately based on...I've done the best I can every day for the region and I've laid a solid pathway for the future," she said.
"Deputy mayor Kelly Vea Vea has thrown her hat into the ring. She's the first and only at this point, and I'm really pleased for Kelly that she's had the courage to take that big step up.
"She knows exactly what it takes. She's been by my side, in my council team for the last 12 years and she has a good understanding of the challenges and complexities."
It's hard at the top, no doubt. And Cr Baker has faced her fair share of challenges throughout her career.
"It's a really interesting experience. You could be dealing with...local government business and the quality of that, the standards of that, then all of a sudden you could be in the deputy premier or premier's office, talking about the closure of mines or communities and supporting communities," she said.
"There's sustainability and livability. It's a really broad spectrum that in my experience, I've had to be able to pivot really quickly.
"My high level netball career came in handy."
For Cr Baker, it's the people within her electorate who made the gruelling hours worthwhile.
"It is the people. It's the diversity," she said.
"Yes, we've got a very large proportion of mining still making coal, which has still got a long life ahead of it...the region itself has got a very big future in the coal context, it's world class...no replacement for that at the moment," she said.
"But we've also got a very prominent and high quality agricultural industry. One of the largest in the state...extraordinary in fact."
While the agricultural industry has seen low prices as of late, Cr Baker said there are "many high profile agricultural people who have got a great future".
"It's a great place to be. Renewables are coming online," she said.
"What I'd like to see is a well balanced blend of energy that will provide a sustainable future for the region.
"Then we move into a lot of renewables. It's just a pleasure and I'm very humbled to be the mayor of this region for so long and to have had the confidence of the broad sector of the communities for three terms."
While Cr Baker acknowledges that life is "full of changes", and when she first came into a councillor position she was faced with a large one from the get go.
"Right from the beginning...being a first time councillor in an amalgamated environment. I started in 2007 and the amalgamation was in 2008. In a local government context, that's been a major change," she said.
"In the broader community and across business and industry, we're already inside changes like automation, the whole de-carbonisation elements coming in, particularly in mining, and the whole climate change environment - which in my opinion is not something for us to be scared of.
"As a council we've lent into this stuff...that's what I do. I'm not frightened to step away (into) something that's different."
While she bids farewell to her position, Cr Baker will be remaining in her town of Moranbah, within the Isaac region, where she prides herself on nurturing "respectful relationships".
"We've got 17 communities in the Isaac region...the same size as Tasmania, and we have a permanent population of 22,000 and on any given night we can have a non-resident component of between 13,000-15,000," she said.
"The camaraderie and resilience of the people is commendable...they've always got each others' back...and there is nothing like living in a small community - it's a great place to be.
"I'm proud of what I've achieved. I've been a leader but I've had a great council team...and staff...I couldn't have done it without them."
While Cr Baker plans to finish up her term, mayor Bob Manning has taken an immediate leave from his position at Cairns Regional Council, handing over the reins to deputy mayor Terry James on November 17.
Further south, Toowoomba Region mayor Paul Antonio announced his retirement after 42 years in local government earlier this year, clocking in for his last day on July 21.
Western Downs mayor Paul McVeigh also announced his retirement on December 4 after seven years.
