Jan Hegge voted in as new Fraser Coast Division 7 councillor

Once an alderman on the Maryborough council, the newly elected Division 7 representative has described her first 24 hours in the job.

New Fraser Coast Regional councillor Jan Hegge.

The Fraser Coast’s newest councillor, elected during a special council meeting on Wednesday, September 6, has spent her first day in her new role.

Jan Hegge, the new representative for Division 7, replacing former deputy mayor Darren Everard after his resignation in early September, said the past 24 hours had been “exciting”.

“It’s a bit of wild ride at the moment, a surprise,” she said.

“I’m really looking forward to the future and what I can achieve over the next six months.”

Called on to give a five minute speech alongside 24 other candidates on Wednesday, Ms Hegge said it was an “interesting process” and something she had not done before.

“I’ve done lots of presentations and lots of public speaking,” she said.

“But it was very well organised and lots of other great candidates there, so I’m honoured and privileged to have been chosen.”

Ms Hegge moved to Maryborough from Brisbane 40 years ago and then to Hervey Bay in 2000.

A former small business owner who has worked in the government and not-for-profit sectors and served three years as an alderman with the Maryborough City Council, she said she was honoured to have the opportunity to serve the residents of Division 7 and the Fraser Coast region.

After presentations were given by 25 of the 26 nominated people at a special meeting of the Fraser Coast Regional Council, Jan Hegge (formerly Carlson) was elected by the 10 remaining councillors.

She said she was motivated to run because of the skills she had acquired during her years working in the public sector and community space.

“When I saw there was a vacancy, having had some experience in council before, I just thought it was a good opportunity to make a difference in the community with the skills that I’ve gathered.”

Ms Hegge said she was passionate about homelessness and youth issues affecting the Fraser Coast.

She said she was keen to bring solutions to the table.

Division 7 was a diverse area, she said, from the airport to K’gari to River Heads and suburban areas of Kawungan.

“I just believe I do have some skills that I can bring to the table to make a difference in those areas.”

The planning scheme review was also something Ms Hegge was interested in and had been able to have input into in her previous council days.

“The CBD redevelopment is not something I’ve been part of as far as the decision-making process goes,” she said.

Ms Hegge said she was still reading reports into the redevelopment.

She said having been married for less than two years, she needed to see how the new role would impact her relationship before she made a decision on running for Division 7 at the council election in March 2024.

But she said she would definitely consider it.

She said her focus would be on getting to know the region and the residents and meeting with key stakeholders and finding out the key issues and challenges.