George Seymour speaks on Fraser Coast council online poll result

A poll on the 2022 performance of the Fraser Coast council has thrown up some intriguing results, with the public ‘favourite’ expressing surprise at the results.

A poll on the 2022 performance of the Fraser Coast Regional Council has thrown up some intriguing results.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour says he is “surprised” to have been rated higher than the rest of his colleagues after being voted the best performing member of Fraser Coast Regional Council in 2022.

Mr Seymour was the apple of voters’ eye in last week’s online polls, emerging as the clear cut favourite who was given a passing grade (C or better) by 76 per cent of participants.

More than half of these voters (46 per cent) awarded him an A for his performance in 2022.

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His mark was well clear of the next preferred councillor, although the public was clearly satisfied with more than half of its representatives.

Deputy Mayor Paul Truscott narrowly pipped his uncle Phil (63 per cent to 61 per cent).

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour was given a passing grade (C or better) by more than three quarters of respondents to an online poll asking for the councillors’ performance in 2022 to be rated.

Jade Wellings and Darren Everard were each given a pass or better by 62 per cent of respondents, and Daniel Sanderson’s performance was given a pass by 61 per cent of voters.

David Lee was awarded a pass by more than 58 per cent of voters.

The remainder was rounded out by David Lewis (46 per cent), Denis Chapman (45 per cent), Zane O’Keefe (34 per cent) and James Hansen (32 per cent)

The council as a whole proved popular, given at a C grade or better by 62 per cent of voters.

This followed a year in which the council grappled with several controversies including the $93m cost of a new Hervey Bay council building and the loss of the popular Junior Touch Cup to Rockhampton.

Mr Seymour was “surprised” his result differed so largely from the other councillors’ “as we are a team, and work well together”.

“I know that there are some people who are happy with how I am working on their behalf and there are others who would like me to do things differently – I appreciate both types of feedback,” Mr Seymour said.

More than half of the Fraser Coasts’ councillors were given a grade of C or better for their work in 2022, while the council itself was given a pass by 62 per cent of voters.

He said the four floods which inundated parts of the Fraser Coast had proven the biggest challenge,

“The council worked very well with the state government, the different agencies and organisations to ensure that we helped get our community through these natural disasters as smoothly as possible,” Mr Seymour said.

“In those cases where we have had setbacks and not worked to the satisfaction of some community members, we have been able to learn and improve.

“I think the overall positive result for the council in this survey shows that the community recognises that we are working hard and seeking the best results for the region.”

James Hansen has been contacted for comment.

* This article has been edited to correct the results of councillors David Lewis and David Lee.