Glen Hartwig sells Cooloola Sandblasting business

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig has said goodbye to his private business which brought commercial success but some political headaches.

Mayor Glen Hartwig has sold Cooloola Sandblasting after seven years at the helm.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig has moved on from the business he has called his own for seven years.

The one-time owner of Cooloola Sandblasting sold the company to new owners in November, divesting himself of a company which was at the centre of a political storm during the last term of council.

He said it was the best decision for the company he had led since 2014.

“I enjoyed aspects of the business but … since becoming mayor it had become seriously neglected,” Mr Hartwig said.

“I had prioritised my role as mayor and could not give it any time.

“Most business owners understand in those circumstances the best thing to do is give it to someone who wants to treat it with love and care.”

Mr Hartwig’s ownership of Cooloola Sandblasting was at the centre of controversy in 2018, amid accusations of conflict of interest regarding the Mary Vary Rattler.

Work that Glen Hartwig carried out on the restoration of the Rattler while running Coolooola Sandblasting landed him in hot water in 2018, when he apologised for not declaring a “perceived conflict of interest” on the matter.

He was forced to apologise after not declaring a “perceived conflict of interest” as a result of work the business carried out during the restoration of the steam train.

He carried the work out for a contractor on the job.

His ownership of the business, and what level of conflict it presented, subsequently became the centre of tense debate in meetings, including a stoush over whether the council’s minutes were accurate.

Outside the “perceived conflict” issue there were no further findings of any breaches relating to Mr Hartwig’s ownership of the company and his ability to vote on matters before the council.

Mayor Glen Hartwig’s ownership of the business was at the centre of tense political fights over what level of conflict it presented when voting on some matters as a councillor.

“It wasn’t really an issue, it was just made an issue,” Mr Hartwig said on Wednesday.

In the lead up to the 2020 election he said he would move on from the business if he was elected mayor.

He was grateful for the community that helped him make the business

“I want to thank the support of the clients over the past seven years and I know the new owners are very much committed to delivering a good product for their clients in the future.”

Mr Hartwig declined to name the new owners.

The Gympie Times attempted to contact the new owners for this article.