In keeping readers informed ahead of next month’s council election, Warwick Stanthorpe Today reached out to both Southern Downs mayoral candidates to ask what they believed to be the top five biggest issues facing the region and how to address them. Here’s what they had to say.
MELISSA HAMILTON
My thanks to Warwick Stanthorpe Today for the opportunity to outline my priorities if I am elected as mayor on 16 March.
I’d start by saying that the mayor and councillors are elected to represent the community and its priorities, not their own. So, I’ll focus here on those issues that have been raised with me most often by residents across the region.
Unity
That the current group of councillors do not have a functional working relationship has been covered by this paper over the last few weeks. Fundamentally, an effective council is one that is united and respectful. My priority as mayor will be to make the council chambers a positive and constructive environment, where councillors can work together and contribute wholeheartedly to the community we are meant to serve.
I am also committed to ensuring that councillors understand and meet the ethical and behavioural obligations set out in Queensland’s Code of Conduct for Councillors. In essence, the code reflects what communities expect of their elected representatives, including transparency in decision-making, high ethical standards, respectful behaviour, and putting the best interests of the community first.
Don’t know who to approach on council with your issue? You’re not alone. Many residents have told me that since divisions were axed they don’t feel they have a local councillor to approach for help or advice.
As mayor, I will improve connections between the community and councillors by allocating responsibility for a specific geographical area to every councillor. That way residents will know who their local councillor is and who they can contact for help. Unlike formal divisions, a shift to
geographical responsibilities can be introduced immediately and this is what I will do as mayor. If there is enough community support, then down the track we can explore the possibility of a return to formal divisions, which requires state government involvement.
Being embedded within a particular community will also help a councillor to better understand that community’s needs and improve their ability to advocate for better programs and services for that community.
I will also allocate responsibility for a specific portfolio – e.g. housing, agriculture, tourism – to each councillor. This will mean residents can take their issue to the portfolio holder and/or their local area councillor.
Council culture
Another concern that has been repeatedly raised with me is high staff turnover at council. I know from experience that to attract and retain valuable staff there needs to be a positive and professional workplace culture. In our local council, the mayor and councillors set the tone of the organisation and, like it or not, they influence how staff feel about going to work. In partnership with the CEO, I will aim to make the council an employer of choice in this region.
Housing
Affordable housing must be the key focus area for the next term of council. Directly or indirectly, most residents are affected to some degree by the housing shortage. Employers are worried about their employees struggling to find affordable accommodation. Tenants are worried about rent increases or eviction if the property is sold. New businesses looking to relocate to the district are deterred by the lack of available housing for their workforce.
Affordable housing is not just a state or federal government issue. There is much that local government can and should be doing, particularly from a planning perspective. Unused buildings can be re-purposed. New types of housing stock, such as studios and cabins, can be encouraged. In town, we can look at ways of increasing the construction of small townhouses, duplexes and apartments, suitable for singles and couples. Surplus land held by local government can be unlocked and turned into social and affordable housing by not-for-profits. I am confident there is a lot more we can do to help put a roof over the head of every resident of the Southern Downs.
Rates
Rates must and will remain a constant focus for council under my leadership. In some areas of the Southern Downs the rateable value of land increased fourfold last year, which had the effect of doubling the rates for some folk. Rate hikes of this magnitude are very stressful and, for some, simply unmanageable. Although the challenge of delivering services across a large area with a relatively small population will be a constant, I will lead a council that delivers value for money across all parts of the region and I will identify savings on an ongoing basis. I will not tolerate waste, particularly waste that involves spending excessive sums of ratepayers’ money on external consultants and lawyers.
Budget
To relieve the pressure on ratepayers, I am also committed to identifying new sources of income for council, such as projects recently announced by Goondiwindi and Toowoomba Regional Councils that seek to reduce the net cost of traditional council services, such as sewerage and rubbish, and in the long term even turn them into income producing ventures.
Finally, I am a big believer in getting the basics right. I will lead a council that operates within budget, delivers core services well, respects the expert advice of advisory committees (why have them at all if their recommendations are ignored?) and senior staff, and which makes timely decisions that serve the best interests of the community at large.
VIC PENNISI
1. Youth
Our youth tell me they need job opportunities, affordable housing, recreation opportunities for their generation and, most importantly, an opportunity to be heard.
Our youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow. I am passionate about giving them a voice now so they can help us create the best possible region for them to lead in the future.
I am committed to expanding the youth council program in 2024 and beyond, I would like to see a young mayor elected, and for the youth council to have a budget and to make and recommend decisions to council. Let’s develop the skills in our youth and marry them to the current skills shortages.
Creating jobs in our region and giving them a chance to own a home gives our youth a reason to stay. Sadly, youth crime is at epidemic levels in some parts of Queensland, and to keep our local community safe I commit to doing everything we can to reduce youth crime and improve community safety.
2. Ageing infrastructure
Council maintains about a billion dollars’ worth of infrastructure, built over generations, on your behalf.
Capital spending is the biggest it’s ever been under my term as mayor, and I will continue to invest in projects that improve our community and the liveability of our town. I believe in building and maintaining existing assets so these assets are there for our children, and their future generations as well.
3. Water
In my term as mayor, Stanthorpe was the town that ran out of water and we were still carting water every day. For 16 months, at a cost of almost $700,000 a month, we carted water by road from Warwick to Stanthorpe. During that same period, the farmers couldn’t grow food for us, the businesses struggled, the tourist numbers dropped, and the rivers dried up leaving a real impact to the waterway wildlife.
This must never ever happen again, we need to act, and as the mayor it’s my job to act on your behalf.
I believe that water efficiency, river management and a new water storage are all required to achieve our goals and we are working directly with all levels of government, the community and the water users to make sure we all have the water we need to grow.
Any new water infrastructure must be in harmony with the environment, which is why I only support projects that have approved environmental impact studies or will have them before construction.
4. Business confidence and investment
What do people feel when they look at our logo? I want to look at our logo in the future and know that it says, “we are open for business”.
Everyone deserves an affordable home. My council will do its part in reducing the housing issues facing Australia.
I will work directly with any developer who wants to build in our region.
I asked the business owners what were the inhibitors to growing their businesses that were created by council and they told me. Largely they said “it’s the red tape and delays”. We asked, we listened, they told us, and now we need to act.
No-one likes red tape, especially me, but we also need to make sure council acts transparently, fairly and has processes that allow council decisions to be delegated. But that doesn’t mean it should take longer than needed, or cost more than it should.
We have come a long way, but there is still work to do. The difference between a good team and a great team is the culture of the club they represent. We have begun that journey, and I won’t be taking my foot off the pedal of the “Culture Transformation Reform Plan” we started in this term.
5. Sustainability (Funding of council/growth/economic development/growth/downward pressure on rates)
One of the biggest issues for council is how we continue to deliver over 30% of all government services on just around 3% of the total of all government’s budgets?
If council isn’t financially viable, we all suffer. Our standard of living and our lifestyle depends on us having good infrastructure and services from council.
Maintaining financial viability is critical for our council’s ability to deliver essential services. Our quality of life relies on robust infrastructure and efficient services, necessitating a focus on expanding resources rather than increasing taxes.
Investment in both public and private sectors is vital for sustainable development, requiring a delicate balance between preserving our natural and man-made assets while embracing necessary improvements. Unpredictable climate, demographic shifts, and infrastructure upgrades present challenges and opportunities that demand visionary leadership and innovative solutions.
Maybe one solution is to establish an Advisory Investment and Development Group and this could optimise collaboration and streamline processes to attract vital regional investment. With steadfast leadership, we can safeguard our community’s enviable lifestyle while fostering the development necessary for future prosperity, and attract that regional investment so essential to creating the future we want capturing that investment that we need, not frustrating it through unnecessary red tape and delays.
I continue to offer my proven leadership through these exciting and challenging times. With that leadership and based on our remarkable regional comparative advantages, we can get that balance right – protecting the great region that we have and also facilitating the development and investment we must have to support our future prosperity and that of our next generation.
