Grade the Fraser Coast Regional Council’s 2023 performance

The past year has brought a 4.9 per cent rate rise to the Fraser Coast, multimillion-dollar developments, the suspension of a councillor and the anticipation of an election. This is your chance to score the performance of the council by voting in our poll:

The Fraser Coast Regional Councillors.

As the new year begins and the March 2024 local government elections approach it’s time to have your say on the performance of the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

It’s been a busy and turbulent year, with former deputy mayor Darren Everard resigning from Division 7 and new councillor Jan Hegge taking his seat after applications were submitted and a vote was undertaken by the rest of the council.

Ms Hegge has since confirmed she will run for Division 7 again at the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile Division 9 councillor David Lee will not contest the next council election in order to run against incumbent Labor MP Adrian Tantari at the state election later this year.

Division 5 councillor Jade Wellings also announced she would not contest the upcoming election and neither will retiring Division 6 councillor David Lewis.

The Fraser Coast Regional Council.

Division 1 councillor James Hansen found himself in hot water in 2023.

In September, Mr Hansen was suspended from full pay by then-Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Steven Miles for one month for a series of controversial Facebook posts.

His posts were in regard to transgender women, Coon cheese and Covid.

At the time, Mr Hansen said he stood by his comments.

He said he disagreed with the decision and would be appealing it through the Queensland Civil Administrative Tribunal.

In June, ratepayers were hit with a 4.9 per cent rate rise.

Fraser Coast Regional Council CEO Ken Diehm.

Mayor George Seymour said the budget was the most challenging the council had put together in years, but the rate rise was still less than inflation, which was at 7.4 per cent.

“As every household or business knows, everything is costing more,” he said.

All services had been “put under the microscope” as the council worked together to plan the budget for the next financial year.

The past year has also included major developments brought before the council, including a 21-storey tower proposed for Torquay.

There have been announcements surrounding new administration centres for Hervey Bay and Maryborough as well.

Now is your chance as our valued reader, to have your say.

We want to hear your thoughts on each councillor’s performance, the mayor’s, the CEO’s and the council as a whole - and what you think the council needs to focus on in 2024.