Division 5 Aims

March 2nd, 2016

 

  • ROADS, FOOTPATHS – Prioritise roadwork. Our Fraser Coast towns and cities have many substandard roads. All new developments must incorporate safe walking and cycling pathways. Division 5 has seen many roads improved but Craignish Rd, Scrub Hill Rd. Old Toogoom Rd etc have missed out. It is time to change that. Yes to a safe pedestrian/cycle link from Toogoom through to Hervey Bay and then on to Burrum Heads but not along the Pialba Burrum Heads Road. I don’t want fast traffic whizzing past walkers, cyclists kids and pets etc.. First stage would connect Sempfs Rd with Grinsteads rd. Privately owned land is the only obstacle but we could utilise Work for the Dole scheme participants to help construct the pathway.
  • RATES – Work hard to retain rates rises to CPI. No more ridiculous rates increases that are forcing people out of their homes. Provide rates discounts to residents who pay via installments and get rid of Rates Levies. Levies are a sneaky way to make you pay more.. Stop charging non resident property owners higher rates! Ensure business owners are not rated so highly that they cannot afford to stay in business. 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.
  • FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT – Has to change. Council has wasted far too much money doing things that are not needed. The waste has to stop. I will request Council to review all Senior Management positions, including the CEO, and ensure we employ the best people to help us manage our money better.
  • JOBS/BUSINESS/ECONOMY – Encourage small business to develop throughout the region by providing enough suitably zoned land and reasonable application fees. We can grow steadily where appropriate and provide ongoing employment if we attract and foster small business. Rezone our CBD’s to let people live within the buildings and help revitalise these spaces. Promote the Fraser Coast as an E-Change destination. Make us a logical place to locate more Call Centres and Warehousing businesses. Embrace the future and stop trying to recapture the past when it comes to business. Open up our CBD’s to residential unit style development to bring them back to life. Encourage home based business while ensuring no negative impact on neighbours.
  • SPORTING FACILITIES – Stop the rush to develop the new sports precinct. Just do this slowly over time with grant funding. The new Council must closely examine this project. I will continue to prioritise an increase of facilities throughout this Division. The newish tennis and athletics facility on the Dundowran Road is a success and we wish to retain it here.
  • CAT AND DOG DESEXING – I am in favour of trialling compulsory companion pet desexing and the introduction of breeder permits. I will be trying to ensure our Local laws are updated to include these requirements. All money collected via Animal Registration must be spent back directly for the animals not be donated or used elsewhere. Compliance officers must be available after hour also!
  • BEACHES/ENVIRONMENT – Protecting our beaches is a big priority and sand pushing can and does work. Buy some machines and get going is my motto. It works so let’s do it.
  • PARKS Stop selling off our parks and open spaces. We values them and do not want them developed for shops. parking or housing! We also need to focus on weed control and properly care for the public lands entrusted to us. All the parks everywhere not just those on the Hervey Bay Esplanade! Our Div 5 foreshore looks sadly neglected by this Council. It is time for change.
  •  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. Stop the chop!

 

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, eighteen 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.

A balanced relationship between our buildings our natural environment and the people that live here will enhance our community. Hervey Bay and the entire Fraser Coast 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.

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.  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!

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 always worked hard to implement change with some success

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.

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!

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 Division 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 a brand new Council. I am keen to represent you. 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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