Fifth gen Kingaroy farmer Tom Wilson to run for South Burnett mayor

A ‘lack of leadership’ in the South Burnett council is one reason Tom Wilson is running for mayor - and he does not hold back when it comes to the election promises of rival Kathy Duff. Read our interview:

Kingaroy farmer Tom Wilson is running for mayor of the South Burnett Region Council.

Expectant father and fifth generation Kingaroy farmer Tom Wilson believes the South Burnett Regional Council suffers from a “lack of leadership”.

He hopes to rectify that come March 16, when voters go to the polls to elect a new council and new mayor.

He said this week that when watching council meetings and seeing the promises being made - which he believes can’t be kept - he feels frustrated and that he has what it takes to unify the local government body.

The 31-year-old grew up on the family farm just outside of Kingaroy, where his well known family have lived for five generations.

“My family have been here for probably about 150 years and on the property we’re on now, it’s about 110 years … we’re a cattle breeding operation,” Mr Wilson said.

He went to a boarding school in Brisbane until graduating high school, then moved to the Northern Territory with some mates and worked as a ringer.

Eventually he moved back to Brisbane to work in exporting.

“That was an eye opener for me with how the world works … trade between countries, tariffs, you get that interest … you’re looking at what happens in Russia, with the wheat exports and how that’s going to affect Australia within two days.”

Mr Wilson enjoyed the working environment in exporting and it made him realise how things can get done effectively when working as a team.

Kingaroy farmer Tom Wilson is running for South Burnett Region Council mayor.

In 2016, Mr Wilson returned to Kingaroy to work with his father and grandfather on the family farm.

“I knew I was going to come back, it was the right time,” he said.

Mr Wilson explained he’s always been interested in local issues but it was when speaking to his friend, former South Burnett councillor Damien Tessmann, that he started to understand the impact councillors can have.

“Just questioning him, it was very interesting with what he was involved in, his decision making.”

Mr Wilson and Mr Tessmann now work together as members of the Liberal National Party.

Mr Wilson was elected into the LNP policy committee in 2018 but stresses his aspirations for mayor are completely separate from his LNP affiliation.

“I’m not endorsed by the LNP. I don’t think I’ve told them … it’s nothing to do with the LNP,” he said.

When asked what made him want to run for mayor he said it was his own discussions with council members over the years, including Mr Tessman, and observing meetings from the sideline.

Kingaroy farmer Tom Wilson is running for mayor of the South Burnett Regional Council.

When asked what issues he’d observed with the current council, he did not hold back.

“Addressing the elephant in the room, there’s a lack of leadership in there.

“The mayor has to empower the councillors and their positions, let them lead, let them lead the meetings.

“Don’t have your own agenda and push for that, that’s when you find divided councils … there’s definitely a lack of leadership.

“It’s not on and it needs to change dramatically,” he said.

Mr Wilson said he understood some people did not realise not all issues can be fixed with council money, but said there were other avenues he believes are not being fully utilised.

“If you know it’s a federal issue then pick up the phone, don’t have that ‘no’ attitude.

“There are funds out there, there are grant funds, there are state funds, you’ve just got to look for them, you’ve got to lobby.”

Mr Wilson also does not like some of the promises being made by fellow mayoral candidate Kathy Duff.

“I like Kathy but I don’t agree with policies she’s putting forward.”

One of those promises is to bring depots back to towns which Mr Wilson believes is not sustainable or viable, and would not get through council.

“That’s what we call an unfulfilled promise,” he said.

“I want world peace but the candidate for the South Burnett council is not going to make that happen.”

Despite the criticism, Mr Wilson believes all the other candidates running for mayor, Gavin Jones, Kirstie Schumacher and Ms Duff have represented their communities well.

“They are good people but I just believe at the end of the day there needs to be change.

“If this is going to turn out to be a popularity contest and about who can promise the most, then don’t vote for me … I can only tell you exactly what I intend to do,” he said.

The South Burnett Regional Council local election will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2024.