Heath Sander to run for South Burnett council, Division 5

South Burnett businessman Heath Sander will contest the seat being vacated by mayoral candidate Kathy Duff at the South Burnett council election in March.

Heath Sander is running for Division 5 in the South Burnett Regional Council local elections in 2024.

South Burnett businessman Heath Sander hopes to add another quiver to his bow when he contests the Division 5 seat of the South Burnett Regional Council in March 2024.

Mr Sander, 45, has lived in Division 5 his entire life, attending Murgon primary school and Murgon high school while being raised on a farm in Redgate.

“Dad was a farmer, but was also a Murgon Shire Council employee for approximately 30 years until retirement,” Mr Sander said.

“Mum was a stay-at-home mother of a household of eight children, me being the youngest.”

Mr Sander began his working career at the South Burnett Meatworks until it closed down in 2000.

He went on to work for the Murgon Shire Council before starting up his own business, Sander’s Bobcat and Mini Excavator Hire.

In 2018, he and his wife Rowena started a logistics contract with Containers for Change before managing both the Bjelke-Petersen Dam Tourist Park and Boondooma Dam Tourist Park.

Heath Sander with Deb Frecklington and David Crisafulli at Parliament House.

As a member of the SES, he was deployed in 2010, 2011 and 2013 across various regions during flood disasters.

He is also president of the Murgon Rotary Club and co-chair of the Murgon Music Muster.

“During my time in the Rotary Club of Murgon and chairing the Murgon Music Muster I am very humbled to have been able to help raise and donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to many charities and organisations,” Mr Sander said.

When asked why he was running for South Burnett council, he said he wanted to represent the community’s needs and make important decisions on behalf of the region.

“The next four years within this term of council I believe is going to be the hardest four years we have seen,” he said.

“Clear and decisive decision making is what is going to sustain businesses and council to survive and prosper.”

Mr Sander is optimistic about the future of the South Burnett.

“I believe that the South Burnett region has a lot more to offer, we are not that far away from major cities and believe we can attract and sustain businesses and people to call our towns and villages home.”

Coincidently, the previous manager of the Bjelke-Petersen Dam Tourist Park (formerly Yallakool) Allan Walters announced his candidacy for Division 5 councillor earlier this week.

Current Division 5 councillor Kathy Duff is running for mayor of the South Burnett Regional Council which leaves Mr Sander and Mr Walters in the race.

“It is always good to have competition so that people have choices,” Mr Sander said.