Bundaberg councillor Tracey McPhee votes against Christmas appeal donation

Despite saying they risked sounding like a “Christmas grinch”, one Bundaberg councillor voted against the council putting $5000 towards hampers for families in need. Here’s why.

One Bundaberg councillor voted against a $5000 gift to the poor.

A Christmas appeal run by the city’s mayor is a time-honoured tradition in the Bundaberg region, but a plan to bolster it by $5000 could have hit a road bump if one councillor was successful in her argument against the motion.

Bundaberg Mayor Jack Dempsey described the plan at Tuesday’s meeting to donate $5000 to the 2022 Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Appeal.

“It will raise funds to buy goods for local charities to distribute to families in need,” he said.

“I just want to particularly pay emphasis to a number of the staff who have been working in well with the service clubs and community clubs to date.

“I think we’ve got a little over $20,000 so far today … I really want to thank the other charities involved. This is about value adding to this Christmas appeal.”

Division 4 councillor and businesswoman Tracey McPhee.

Mr Dempsey said the charities supported by the funds were not simply busy around the festive season, but worked daily throughout the year to help locals in need and any help would “take a little bit of pressure off”.

As part of the initiative the council also sells wooden Christmas tree baubles for $10, with proceeds going to charities.

When the mayor put the motion for the donation to the meeting, only councillor Tracey McPhee spoke out against it.

She said she thought the appeal was a way to bring the community together and added she had even signed on to pack hampers.

But the Division 4 councillor and Alowishus Delicious business owner said she believed the council had already done enough good deeds this festive season.

“So at the risk of sounding like a Christmas grinch, I’m not voting yes and only because I believe that everything that council has already done – the in-kind support, the selling of the baubles, staff going out to events, marketing and promotion, fundraising and advocacy that the council’s done, I do believe that council has done a lot,” she said.

“A lot of that is time and time does equal money.”

Nine of the 10 councillors, and the mayor, supported the motion and the $5000 will be donated to those in need.