Candidates for mayoral role for Livingstone Shire Council election 2024

Two new names will go up against a sitting councillor and the current mayor in the Livingstone Shire Council election. Meet the candidates for mayor and the issues they believe are the region’s biggest.

Livingstone Shire Council 2024 mayoral candidates: Adam Belot (incumbent Deputy Mayor), Andrew Ireland (incumbent Mayor), Grantley Jack and Kelvin Appleton.

Grantley Jack and Kelvin Appleton will go up against the incumbent Mayor Andrew Ireland and Deputy Mayor Adam Belot in the mayoral race for the 2024 Livingstone Shire Council election later this month.

ANDREW IRELAND

Livingstone Shire Mayor Andy Ireland

Mr Ireland has served one council term and was elected in April 2020.

He took out the mayoral position by 1,029 votes, beating former mayor Bill Ludwig who had been in the role since 2014.

Mr Ludwig has also come back into the spotlight this election as he runs for councillor.

Mr Ireland has a background in account and management, with positions in local government as a chief operating officer, a general manager and chief financial officers.

Before becoming mayor, he owned Whisk Cafe in Yeppoon.

Speaking at a councillor and mayor candidates forum, Mr Ireland said the council is in a “good position” to springboard into the future.

He said they have reduced debt from roughly $83m down to $51m and property general rates had generally been kept below CPI, with one year seeing no rates increase at all.

At the commencement of the council term in 2020, Livingstone was the second-highest rate term and it is now the ninth, he further added.

At the 2022 budget it was marked as fourth.

“We also had a record number of development approvals last year, nearly 800 which indicates the growth and support and investment within this region at the commencement of this term,” he said.

“We are setting up the shire for the future and some hard decisions had to be made to keep us on that track and whoever sits in the chamber after this election is going to have to make some more hard decisions.”

Mr Ireland noted they have delivered the largest capital works program in the history of the shire.

“Going forward there are a number of exciting projects coming out of the ground or being planned,” he said.

“The Railway Precinct here in Yeppoon is a classic example, the Gateway Business Park is another one, started by previous councils but continued by this one and we are now at stage four with stages one to three being sold out.

“Homemaker too, relocating the depot to the Gateway Industrial Precinct, to make way for further commercial development on that site.”

He also touched on progressing the northern corridor with Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview.

ADAM BELOT

Deputy Mayor Adam Belot is now running for the mayoral position in the Livingstone Shire Council 2024 election.

Mr Belot has been a councillor for Livingstone for the past 10 years and said this experience and knowledge has helped him understand the potential of the community and the challenges it faces.

“That last 10 years has helped me understand how best to represent your community at a councillor level, whether that be supporting your sporting clubs to try and get a development location through, whether it be identifying the Emu Park seawall as public infrastructure that should be the function of council to do and not the lifesaving club themselves,” he said.

“It may be advocating for a more streamlined hazard reduction burn permit that is fundamental to reducing that vegetation build-up.”

Mr Belot said he was prepared to give the ‘next level’ as mayor a go.

“But ultimately, that’s for the people to decide,” he said.

“I’ve always been as transparent and as accountable as I can.

“I hope to take that step even further and provide that leadership at the highest level to take our community on the most exciting journey of creating the most livable place to live.”

Since Covid-19, the Livingstone Shire has had recorded levels of growth.

Between 2021 and 2022, the Livingstone Shire population has grown to 40,952 and the gross regional product is more than $1.6 billion annually.

“The challenge is going to be for the council, I believe, to really map out a plan moving forward that it’s not all about growth, it’s actually about managing that growth,” Mr Belot said.

He said the plan would need to look at the infrastructure, from the roads to the pipes in the ground and water reservoirs not just to cater for the current population but the future.

“Council is going to absolutely have to be very much on the front foot, really proactive in their decision making, in their planning moving forward, so that you can look back over years and go, wow, gee, that council really got it,” Mr Belot said.

GRANTLEY JACK

Narelle and Grantley Jack.

Director of electrical contractors business NRG Industrial, Grantley Jack, 54, has also put his name forward.

He has lived in Yeppoon for more than 30 years after growing up in Rockhampton and Mount Morgan.

Mr Jack started out as a domestic electrician and went on to work in the mining industry, moving up the ranks to superintendent before going on to study electrical engineering and then worked in frontline management.

He started NRG Industrial in 2008 and had been working and running it up until December last year.

“I love this entire shire and I believe I can assist to ensure a stronger future by solid leadership,” Mr Jack said.

In terms of the biggest issue, Mr Jack said there needs to be value for money on rates and water.

“The water charges are something that must be seriously looked at and a solution found, it would be the first ticket item to address,” he said.

He is also passionate about beach access and said Hinz Avenue on Farnborough Road needs to be “left alone”.

“If there are people speeding and hooning then police it,” he said.

“Unfinished projects like the Stanage Bay Road where bridges seem to be forgotten.

“Our basic services seem to be dwindling rather than being sustained.

“I have a business head and have worked with many sectors of the community and will listen and act on requests.”

KELVIN APPLETON

Kelvin Appleton.

Fellow candidate Kelvin Appleton has put his hat in the ring as he said has “witnessed first hand the vibrancy and potential Livingstone Shire has”.

Over the years Kelvin Appleton has had an interest in politics, most recently being involved in the convoy to Canberra to get the Rocky Ring Road to go ahead and keep the work local.

He was also vocal in supporting the Adani mine campaign, now Bravus, against the Bob Brown convoy in 2019.

“I have the proven ability to lead successfully and bring a group together for a common cause, benefitting our state and shire with commitment and focus,” he said.

“I am passionate about loyalty, truth and fairness.

“My leadership will be guided by what is best for our region, including supporting local businesses, making smart decisions and fairness and commitment a priority to the people of the shire.”

When asked what the biggest issues in the area were, Mr Appleton started with beach fines.

“$220,000 worth of fines have been issued to families of our community and tourists visiting our region, simply because they are wanting to enjoy a day out on the beach,” he said.

Kelvin Appleton with his family.

He also believe water rates are “unjust” and wants to see more local contractors on projects and not those outside the local government area.

“The inability to approve projects and subdivisions that have ticked all the boxes, only to be held up by personal issues amongst councillors,” was another issue he stated, along a “lack of moving forward with industry development”.

Mr Appleton would like to encourage tourism, aquaculture and light industrial development.

“I will continually ask the shires rate payers, advice on direction,” he said.

“Projects would be approved on their merits, providing they comply with Livingstone Shire rules and regulations.

“The knowledge and experience I have gained in a multitude of industries over my working career would give me the confidence in bringing together and leading a team of councillors that work for the majority, not the minority.”

Early voting has begun and is held at Yeppoon Town Hall, from 9am to 5pm, up until election day, Saturday March 16.