Sue Brooks’ Blog

sue August 3rd, 2008

Your new Fraser Coast Regional Council needs to properly and seriously address the challenges facing it. It must ‘cut through the red tape’ and ensure that customer service is given a very, very high priority. Services must continue to be provided in an efficient and financially responsible and we need to ensure that the bigger cities don’t prosper at the expense of the smaller communities. I think sometimes the smaller communities do better than the city proper. The residents work together and proactively communicate with Councillors through well organised community associations. They roll up their sleeves to help Council help them! An attitude I can only recommend.

Some of my thoughts and concerns

• HIGH RISE - I don’t think Hervey Bay will benefit from wall to wall high rise along our foreshore. I don’t want a concrete coastline. If I wanted to live surrounded by high rise I’d go to the Gold Coast! The Hervey Bay Planning Scheme includes high rise zones along the Esplanade to 8 storeys. I did not support this increase in the height limit. With community support, I will ask the new Councillors to support the 8 storey height limit being reduced back down to 6 storeys. I have great concerns about the impact of ‘infill’ development that is ‘encouraged’ by our State Government. The impact of reducing lot sizes by ‘reconfiguring a lot’ down to smaller sizes troubles me greatly. This enables 2 houses or blocks of Units, to be placed on a block where one house currently sits. I believe that residential areas should be protected from inappropriate and undesirable development. Maryborough is already beginning to experience the impact of Unit developments. The heritage look and feel of Maryborough is something special and must be preserved.
• ENVIRONMENT - If we don’t look after our environment we won’t have a habitable planet. It really is that simple. I think we often forget that we require lots of clean air and water to enable us to grow food and survive. Protecting our environment and realizing that we must live a more sustainable lifestyle, using renewable energy, has to be a priority as we head towards an uncertain future. Coastal and water way protection must be given a very high priority. Our natural environment is one of the reasons why we all love living here. We need to protect our beaches and water ways and bushland areas. We should incorporate wildlife corridors and vegetation buffers to mitigate some of the damage that residential development invariably brings. We must assist farmers to use the land productively and profitably without compromising our environment.
• TRAVESTON DAM - NO!
• CUSTOMER SERVICE - Council must continue to strive towards providing all of us with excellent customer service all of the time. The community expects and deserves nothing less. Customer service needs to be continually assessed to measure its performance.
• ROADS, FOOTPATHS - Prioritise roadwork. Our Fraser Coast towns and cities have many substandard roads. A safe good quality road network is critical to a rapidly growing region. Keep up the pressure on the State Government to make the Hervey Bay/Maryborough Rd 4 lanes. Footpaths are needed to assist people to walk safely around our cities and towns. All new developments must incorporate safe walking and cycling pathways. We get frustrated if we can’t easily travel from one place to another within and around our cities and towns. Hervey Bay needs future planning for an East West link road now! I don’t want the cheapest solution I want the best solution when it comes to these future plans.
• FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Careful ongoing financial management is essential. We don’t want ever increasing debt to burden the community. We have an excellent financial manager in Lisa Desmond who has ‘cleaned up’ many inherited financial headaches. The new Council must balance community needs with the increase in costs incurred directly as a result of amalgamation.
• RETAIL DEVELOPMENT - Encourage more retail development. Where is K Mart, Office Works or Spotlight? We must assist current shopping centres to grow and provide easy access to them. For example Centro in Hervey Bay desperately needs another entrance via Main Street. We mustn’t forget that retail development brings jobs and that tourists love to shop.
• HERVEY BAY foreshore - I want to see Hervey Bay become the best coastal garden city in Australia. Why do we visit places like Montville and Toowoomba? Hervey Bay must continue to develop our Esplanade in an environmentally sensitive way. We do want to actually see our lovely blue waters so planting very low growing ground covers, rather than bushy shrubs, under taller trees is advisable in some areas. Let us make our Esplanade a boulevard that people come especially to visit. This means we prevent further building development on the North or ‘beach side’ of the Esplanade. Green and treed cities and towns, I think, are simply more attractive places to live and visit.
• RURAL AREAS - Must also benefit from plans to ensure that they are beautiful places to live. Residents who live ‘out of town’ deserve to receive equitable services. Drainage, sewerage, water supply and roads are basic needs and must be maintained and improved. Our rural residents pay rates as do our urban residents and everyone deserves a return for their payments. I live outside the city proper but I pay rates and expect a fair return for my money.
• BUSINESS/ECONOMY - Encourage small business to develop throughout the region by providing enough suitably zoned land. We can grow steadily where appropriate and provide ongoing employment if we attract and foster small business. We must work towards building a sustainable economy.
• SPORTING FACILITIES - Heaps of improvement needed. We don’t have enough high quality sporting facilities for a city our size. Investigate ways in which sporting clubs can raise funds, attract grants, and work together with Council to improve this situation. Ensure that sporting facilities are provided wherever they are needed. Staying fit and healthy is easier if we provide adequate facilities.
• WILDLIFE FEEDING - I wish we would be more careful about feeding our native wildlife. Look what happens to humans when we over indulge. Why then do we think it is a good idea to feed our wildlife bread etc? I believe Wildlife feeding is not something that should be done regularly. Feeding the ducks may make us ‘feel good’ but I hope we can find a better feed stuff the bread. Has anyone some good ideas?
• DIRT BIKES - Toughen up Legislation (where needed) and work with our Police to minimize the negative impact that bike riding has when it is done in built up urban areas. Work with all Government agencies to identify and provide suitable land that bike riders can use safely.

MY Vision

Dundowran Beach in Hervey Bay is where I have chosen to settle. I was raised in Victoria, have lived in Bundaberg and Darwin but I moved to Hervey Bay, here on the Fraser Coast, nine years ago and have no intentions of ever leaving. I’ve travelled most of Australia, experienced living in lots of different places, but I can’t find anywhere nicer to live than here on our beautiful Fraser Coast. I’m sure that most of us have chosen to reside here because we enjoy living near the coast, we like the climate and the natural environment. We also enjoy using community facilities and we want education opportunities and enough jobs to keep our kids close by as they get older. We want a safe environment where we can travel around our city easily.

Our community depends on more than just its natural environment for its happiness and wellbeing. A balanced relationship between our buildings our natural environment and the people that live here will enhance our community. We can’t put up a stop sign to keep people from doing as we did and settling here. Hervey Bay will inevitably continue to grow and change but our growth must be carefully managed. Residents want a choice of housing located in a variety of areas. Some of us enjoy living on a larger block where we can grow trees, but many residents enjoy living in a smaller dwelling with no garden or a shared garden maintained by someone else. Still others choose something in between. With sensible controlled development this mix of living styles is achievable. We must balance the protection of our natural environment with the cultural, economic, physical and social well being of us, the people. I absolutely love living here and I want to help preserve what should be preserved and help manage our inevitable growth very carefully.

Now I have a new challenge. To represent people who live in a much wider area. I’m keen to contribute positively to the future of our larger community by strongly and honestly representing you. I promise to do more than simply listen to you. I will continue to act on your concerns by bringing them to the attention of councillors and the CEO.  I will follow up on your issues and ask for action to be taken where necessary. My motto is -

Our FRASER COAST is unique. Let’s work together to look after it!

For the city of Hervey Bay I believe that this motto is still very relevant if not even more so, as development keeps up its relentless demands on our space and our roads. But for Maryborough, Tiara and Woocoo the challenges are different. Maryborough has an incredible community spirit and a history that has to be preserved and nurtured. I believe that the ‘heritage’ cityscape of Maryborough is unique in Queensland and I enjoy showing off our beautiful neighbouring city to my visitors. Maryborough knows how to ‘do events’ in a way that many of us envy. We enjoy the wonderful Brolga theatre and appreciate the diversity of experience that we encounter when we spend time in Maryborough. Maryborough also has a beautiful natural environment that also must be nurtured. Maryborough is also a ’sustainable city’ in that it has a stable population and solid economic base. This must be appreciated and preserved.

Tiaro and Woocoo regions have a rural focus. Rolling plains, sweeping vistas, meandering valleys and hard working peoples are to be found here. When I came to Hervey Bay I worked at TAFE across the two cities. We contemplated buying acreage at Woocoo at one time. (With the possibility of rising seas it still sounds like an excellent idea). Tiaro has a great (famous) butcher, a new Motel and the challenges that come from having a city centre straddling the Bruce Highway. I have travelled to Tinnanbar and marvelled at that little patch of coast line which is so relaxed and peaceful. The dirt road was a challenge on a wet day as I recall, and my lovely white car became a new shade of brown!

  WHY ME? MY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

 I believe I have the skills needed to be a productive community representative and I understand all the facets of the role

I’m an inquisitive thinker and like asking questions. I’m always looking to see how we can do things ‘better.’ I research widely and my Librarian skills come in handy for this

I am an expert Internet user

I can compromise when needed and contribute positively to discussion in a team environment

I have worked hard on the Hervey Bay City Council to implement change with some success

I attend community meetings on a regular basis

I successfully completed the course recommended for councillors “Councillors as Leaders in our Community’ prior to the election in 2003. I think this course should be a pre-requisite for intending councillors

I have always worked in the customer service field and feel I have a natural ability to listen, to empathise with and to assist people. These skills are vital for success as a Councillor

Together with Graham, my partner, we placed our faith in the Hervey Bay community and opened our shop Mind Games at Centro in 2004. Thanks to the community and the many tourists who visit the Fraser Coast, our shop is trading well. I have experience in starting and operating a small business in the local environment

I do work full time as a Councillor. (Graham thinks I work longer hours now than when I worked in the Library)

I am totally independent. I have friends and work colleagues who are members of the Liberal, Labor and Greens parties. I am not a member of any political party and don’t see a need for party politics to enter into Local Government. I have no higher political aspirations whatsoever!

I am a member of several community organizations e.g. Wildlife Preservation Society Queensland, Greater Mary Association, Chamber of Commerce, and actively assist the Friends of the Mungomery Vine Forest.

I have learned how to cope better with disappointment when I’m not successful in bringing about change or when Council decisions go against my wishes and have developed stronger meeting skills. I have always tried hard to work together with my fellow Councillors to achieve positive outcomes for our city and I think  ‘agreeing to disagree’ is an essential ability that all Councillors must practice. We do have varied and different views on what is best for our region but a healthy debate is always welcome. I think this is an essential aspect of good governance and I cannot believe that any one would ever vote in a certain way simply because he/she was told to do so. Independent thinking and a very genuine wish to make decisions based on community input and representation is a vital aspect of good governance. I would not join a faction or political party as I enjoy my independence.

 I personally don’t think that where a Councillor physically resides is a critical factor in successfully being a ‘good’ Councillor. A hard working successful Councillor needs to be able to communicate with community members no matter where they live and then must be able to properly and strongly represent their wishes and concerns. In this day and age with increasing access to the Internet this has become easier. While I agree that face to face discussions are very important and phone calls are another needed communication tool, email and blogs like this one are also very handy and connect people cheaply and quickly no matter where we live.

A Councillor must focus on budget decisions and when it comes to capital spending we do need to have a good idea of what infrastructure is needed within our local Government area and how we wish to prioritise this needed infrastructure. For this reason we need to travel the roads and talk to the people. I can’t drive anywhere these days without noting the condition of the road and kerbs, footpaths (where we have them..) signs, lights etc. When I visit any park or public place I pay attention to seating, shelter, pathways, vegetation, damage, number of bins, litter etc, etc.  So yes being able to travel about and look around is a very important part of the role. However I also rely heavily on community members telling me about what they think is needed and where improvements can be made.

So I invite you to let me know what concerns you and what interests you as we embrace our larger regional Council. I am keen to represent a wider community. I believe I do this fairly and to the best of my ability . I enjoy the fact that anyone anywhere, in Hervey Bay and beyond, can call me, ring me or email me and I can respond to their requests. I personally don’t believe that lines on a map should limit a Councillors ability to represent a large community properly.

 Please let me know your thoughts and ask questions any time. Until next time, thanks for listening, Sue

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