Nineteen council candidates for the South Burnett local elections
With elections only weeks away find out more about those who are in the running for a South Burnett Regional Council seat.
South Burnett
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The South Burnett Regional Council elections are only weeks away.
Three current councillors have thrown their hat into the ring to run for mayor along with Kingaroy farmer Tom Wilson.
At least three seats will be filled by a new councillor as councillors Kathy Duff, Kirstie Schumacher and Gavin Jones have all announced their run for mayor.
Current Division 6 councillor Scott Henschen will be up against former councillor Ros Heit, who Mr Henschen unseated in the last election by only four votes.
Mayor Brett Otto will not contest the next election due to health reasons.
The South Burnett Regional Council elections will be held on March 16 across six divisions.
Here are all of the candidates running for the next South Burnett Council and some of the issues they have announced to tackle.
Mayoral Candidates:
Gavin Jones
Councillor Gavin Jones was first elected to the South Burnett Regional Council in April 2016 and was elected deputy mayor by his fellow councillors.
Mr Jones said he wants to make rates go further, bring new money into the region and invest into the next generation.
“I don’t plan to make promises about state and federal legislation that affects local government decisions every day,” he said.
“Let’s not risk another term of inexperience or pretending we’re something we’re not.”
Mr Jones is the portfolio representative for infrastructure planning, works (construction and maintenance), water and wastewater and plant and fleet.
Kirstie Schumacher
Councillor Kirstie Schumacher was elected to South Burnett Regional Council in 2020.
She said she wanted to create an environment to renew the community’s trust in council.
She also wants to focus on housing and mental health in the region.
On mental health:
“I think, as a region, collectively we have to get together, we have to be advocating for better,” she said.
“I think we deserve better services in our region and I can see that council can play a role in that.”
On housing:
“It is an area I’ve been working on in the regional development portfolio,” she said.
Ms Schumacher said the rising infrastructure and civil costs are making it difficult for developers to open up new land.
“That combined with the holding time and the limited number of banks that would actually loan money to developers means that in so many ways the outcomes that we need aren’t being achieved.”
Ms Schumacher also said there was investment potential in the South Burnett that needed to be unlocked.
Ms Schumacher is the current portfolio holder for regional development, industry, agriculture, water security, energy and circular economy, development services: Planning, building, plumbing and community and social housing.
Kathy Duff
Burnett grazier, businesswoman and councillor Kathy Duff has announced her intention to run for South Burnett mayor.
Ms Duff will finish her fourth term as councillor before vacating her seat to run for mayor.
She has released a five-point plan she believes will deliver an effective council that is reducing council waste for affordable rates; fixing the roads, potholes and drains; bringing the depots back to the towns and restoring local pride; cutting red tape to give businesses a break; keeping the divisions to support community decisions.
“I know the community want a council that spends the ratepayer dollar as if it were their own, and the council I lead will do just that,” Ms Duff said.
Ms Duff is the current portfolio representative for rural resilience and disaster recovery, parks and gardens, property and facility management and first nations affairs.
Tom Wilson
The only candidate to not work in council, expectant father and fifth-generation Kingaroy farmer Tom Wilson believes the South Burnett Regional Council suffers from a “lack of leadership”.
Mr Wilson was elected into the LNP policy committee in 2018 but stresses his aspirations for mayor are completely separate from his LNP affiliation.
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 used.
“If you know it’s a federal issue then pick up the phone, don’t have that ‘no’ attitude,” he said.
He said he wanted the region to be known for its liveability and prosperity.
“I will support and back each councillor in every division with everything I have to offer,” Mr Wilson said.
“Without them we are not a unified council.”
Councillor Candidates:
Division 1
Jane Erkens
Jane Erkens is the current councillor for Division 1 and is running for a second term.
Ms Erkens won the by-election for Division 1 in 2022.
Cr Erkens is the portfolio representative for tourism and VICs, sport and recreation and commercial enterprises – saleyards, dams, aerodromes, cemeteries.
Tom Deweers
Tom De Weers has filed his paperwork to run for Division 4 but has yet to make an announcement.
Division 2
Linda Little
Blackbutt resident Linda Little has put her hand up to run for the Division 2 seat, which will be left vacant by Gavin Jones who is running for mayor.
“In 2019 I did run for the federal seat of Maranoa against David Littleproud … I’m not delusional, I knew I was never going to win as I ran for the Labor Party,” she said with a laugh.
There are two big issues she wants to tackle including roads and the controversial drinking water issue that has plagued the region for years.
“This is a first world country, we’re not a third world country … it’s a basic right for people to have clean and fresh drinking water,” she said.
Ms Little said regardless of whether she won or lost she would continue to work for the community.
“I’ll work my butt off to achieve a good outcome for them,” she said.
Douglas Grant
Former One Nation member Douglas Grant will go head-to-head against the ex-Labor member Linda Little for the Division 2 seat in the South Burnett Regional Council election.
Mr Grant ran for the seat of Nanango as a member of One Nation in the 2017 Queensland state election, but was unsuccessful against Deb Frecklington.
He said when he was running in the state election, many people came to him with issues that were being ignored by the council.
“The greater complaints were the council’s neglect to road repair and increasing rates,” he said.
“If council was run effectively, as a non-profit business in regards to expenditures, in my opinion, it would reduce the need for ever rising rates.
Division 3
Danita Potter
Danita Potter is the current councillor for Division 3 and is running unopposed for a third term.
“My goal is to ensure our council remains transparent, accountable and cost effective for the South Burnett region,” Ms Potter said.
Ms Potter is the portfolio representative for community development: health, youth and senior citizens, arts and heritage, disaster management, waste and recycling management and library services.
She is the also chair of the South Burnett local disaster management group.
Division 4
Seth Schuback
Seth Schuback is only 21 years old but believes he has what it takes to run for council.
“I want to improve the quality of the local water in the area, it’s a massive issue here in the local community … the water situation for the outer towns as well,” Mr Schuback said.
He also wants to protect water from the large bat colonies, particularly in Blackbutt.
Mr Schuback addressed his young age and said it allowed him to see the world in a “slightly different way”.
“In a democracy there are many people of different ages, groups and ethnicities that live in our society, I think it’s always a good idea to get feedback from all sorts of people and if I can add a different perspective into the council, I think that would be a positive,” he said.
Debbie Dennien
Kingaroy businesswoman Debbie Dennien recently announced her candidacy for Division 4.
Ms Dennien credits the current South Burnett Regional Council for working “really hard” and hopes to continue that work if she is elected next month.
Ms Dennien spent most of her youth growing up in New South Wales before coming to the South Burnett during a chance trip to Wondai in 1983, when she said she fell in love with the area and moved soon after to become an apprentice jockey.
The 64-year-old had a go at running for Division 3 in 2016, but lost to her friend Denita Potter who will stay on unchallenged in the upcoming election.
“She’s a real good mate of mine, she’s been very supportive and encouraging,” Ms Dennien said.
She said issues she wanted to focus on included road maintenance, transport links, economic development, housing and efficient delivery of council service.
Like many of the other candidates, the drinking water issue is also an important one.
“Water is a huge issue in our town, we have relatively old infrastructure and it needs as much attention as we can possibly give it,” she said.
Heidi Westbrook
Heidi Westbrook grew up in the South Burnett before moving around Queensland, meeting her husband Mark and having four children together.
The family eventually moved back to Kingaroy in 2022 and decided they were here to stay.
The 46-year-old opened up a hair salon and became active in the community before thinking about running for council.
“Being a hairdresser in town, you hear a lot from the community and how they feel about certain things,” she said.
Her campaign consists of four values; integrity, transparency, inclusivity and accountability, which she said the current council lacked.
“The transparency is a big issue and somewhat the accountability and definitely the inclusivity,” Ms Westbrook said.
“When I talk about inclusivity, I’m talking about bringing everyone together, uniting together as one.
Dan Andersson
Dan Andersson recently announced his candidacy for Division 4.
Gerald Daly
Gerald Daly recently announced his candidacy for Division 4.
Division 5
Heath Sander
South Burnett businessman Heath Sander was the first to put his hand up to run for the Division 5 seat.
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,” Mr Sander said.
“Clear and decisive decision-making is what is going to sustain businesses and council to survive and prosper.”
Allan Walters
Former Murgon councillor and tourist park manager Allan Walters has decided to come back into local politics after a long time away.
Like Kathy Duff, Mr Walters would like to bring depots back into the divisions and said the towns have the infrastructure to do so.
“There’s a lot of things I believe could happen and should happen to save our ratepayers money,” he said.
Mr Walters also wants to see portfolios abolished and give the responsibilities to the councillors in their own divisions.
Mr Walters also spoke about Heath Sander who is also running.
“I know my opposition has taken a lot of my ideas that I’ve told people I’d like to do,” Mr Walters said.
Stuart Battese
Stuart Battese was the third candidate to put his hand up for the Division 5 seat.
Mr Battese is no stranger to politics having spent most of his working life in both state and local government including working for the South Burnett Council.
He hopes to be a voice for all of Division 5 including the smaller communities.
Division 6
Scott Henschen
Councillor Scott Henschen announced he will recontest his seat in this year's election.
Mr Henschen said he has projects in the works that “need a concerted and guiding hand” which includes the Wondai roundabout, the Kumbia Sports and Recreational Park renewal and revitalisation and also making the renewable wind farm sector as “positive for the community as possible”.
Mr Henschen is being challenged by the former councillor he unseated in the last election, Ros Heit.
Mr Henschen is currently the portfolio representative for natural resource management, rural services and agricultural innovation, compliance and environment health.
Ros Heit
Former councillor for Division 6 Ros Heit is running again after narrowly losing at the last election to current councillor Scott Henschen by only four votes.
Ms Heit was first elected to the South Burnett Regional Council at a by-election in 2013 and re-elected again in 2016 before losing to Mr Henshen in 2020.
One issue that Ms Heit hopes to tackle are the regions roads.
“Roads are the lifeblood for much of rural Queensland so maintaining them to an acceptable standard crucial.
“I won’t over promise but I will prioritise doing the roads and drains properly,” she said.
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