Alan Sheret to contest Division 3 in local government election

Born and bred on Magnetic Island, this small business owner is running as an independent candidate to deliver the basics and increase accountability in Townsville City Council.

Division 3 candidate Alan Sheret on the Strand. Picture: Evan Morgan

Hamstrung by pandemic restrictions during the last local government election campaign, a small-business owner will have another crack at capturing Division 3, touting his independence and desire for accountability within Townsville City Council.

Born and raised on Magnetic Island and schooled in Townsville, Alan Sheret founded Mackenzie Road Repair in 1998, where he sees first-hand the condition of the region’s roads.

He said the council should stick to the basics of “roads, rates and rubbish” rather than being a “high-industry impact developer”.

“You see the same pothole getting done six times, you see the same patch get done every six months,” he said.

Despite living in Nome in Division 10, Mr Sheret previously ran for Division 3 in the 2020 election, finishing third with 13 per cent of the behind incumbent councillor Ann-Maree Greaney (57 per cent) and Nicole Bates (20 per cent).

A regular attendee of Magnetic Island Residents and Ratepayers Association (MIRRA) meetings, where he officially announced his candidacy on Saturday, Mr Sheret didn’t think residents would mind that he lived outside the division, given his long association with the island and mainland.

“I believe strongly that if you are passionate about an area you should try your best. It is always my intention to move back to the island but that may be a long way off,” he said.

“I don’t see the need as long as you are doing a good job for the people which the present councillor seems to be lacking.

“Councillors need to be accountable to the people again … instead of thinking it is just some free ride.”

Promising to stop wasting money on “poor projects with little or no good outcomes”, he was pushing for greater community consultation to develop cost effective solutions and to deliver better value for ratepayers’ money.

Townsville City Council Division 3 Candidate Alan Sheret's billboard during the 2020 local government election. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“If you’ve got a certain expenditure and you reduce that, then with the extra money you can either pay the huge debt down that the council’s got, or you can reduce the rates, so I would the advocating for a bit of both … and give the give the people a bit of relief,” he said.

On Magnetic Island, he wanted the council to step in and repair the private road to Radical Bay, to fix the public toilets and long term deterioration of Nelly Bay Rd at Picnic Bay, and to prevent the eviction of long-term residents from Amaroo On Mandalay.

On the mainland, he wanted to see the council do more to “pressure state government to fix the crime crisis”.

Division 3 candidates will field questions during MIRRA’s next meeting on March 2.

Originally published as Alan Sheret to contest Division 3 in local government election