Shelley Curtis fills division 4 vacancy left by Cameron Caldwell

From dog park scuffles to development stoushes, this former army captain is learning the drill in her division. See what she is doing

There is something suspicious about Shelley Curtis’s Facebook feed.

The former army captain, who left her 20-year-plus post to fill the Division 4 vacancy left by Cameron Caldwell, might be the Gold Coast’s newest councillor, but it seems she’s already almost universally beloved by residents.

It’s just weird.

Take these comments posted by constituents:

“How lucky (we) are to have such an active councillor and so many active projects. Keep it up and don’t let anyone beat the goodness out of you,” wrote one.

“After years of neglect, we really do appreciate that we have a voice and not just talk, but action. The great people in this special area really do appreciate your support which will be reciprocal. Thank you,” said another.

Mayor Tom Tate at the swearing in of new Gold Coast City councillor Shelley Curtis.

“This councillor is listening and having a crack, good on her.”

Just over three months in the job, it could be that Mrs Curtis is in the midst of a honeymoon phase. But it’s still awfully unlikely to read such polite posts about an actual politician.

Not that Mrs Curtis would define herself as such.

Born and raised in Hollywell, a former student of Coombabah State School and Coombabah State High School, now a resident of Paradise Point where she is raising her own family and is the P & C president at the primary school, Mrs Curtis said she was simply someone who loved her hometown and wanted to be an advocate for the area and her neighbours.

Judging by the comments on her social media, she’s succeeding.

While she was passionate about her career as a former army medic and member of its education corps, she said she was already considering a career change when former councillor Mr Caldwell was preselected by the LNP to run in the Fadden by-election.

“I was about to take long-service leave and think about my next step, I had just started studying for a masters in public leadership and policy, so something was calling me down that route. Then suddenly there was this vacancy I never expected,” said Mrs Curtis.

With 17 nominees for the Division 4 position, including former councillors and business leaders, it was already a tough contest.

Shelley Curtis was appointed to be councillor for divison 4after Cameron Caldwell won state seat. Shelley Curtis at Paradise Point foreshore. Picture Glenn Hampson

But Mrs Curtis said running under the unique circumstances of a council appointment, rather than a public election, meant she was forced to forge her own path forward.

“There really wasn’t a lot of information about how to apply. I had to write a CV and cover letter … what do you include when you’re running for council? So I made appointments with almost every councillor to ask their advice. and they were so extremely helpful and gracious,” she said.

“I’m not afraid to say if I don’t know something, but I won’t wait for someone to tell me, I’ll seek out the information.”

Less than four weeks after she first suspected the council position might become vacant, Mrs Curtis found herself anxiously waiting for the results at the HOTA cafe – close enough, she said, to walk over to the chambers if she won, but far enough that she could discretely slink away if she lost.

She must have been asking all of the right questions over those weeks, because when it came time for the councillors to vote on Mr Caldwell’s replacement, Mrs Curtis received 12 of the 13 votes.

Sixteen weeks later, it’s that same inquisitive nature and willingness to listen that seems to be scoring points among residents. And come March next year, they will be the ones to decide whether Mrs Curtis should remain in the job.

Fadden MP Cameron Caldwell with his wife, Lauren, and their new daughter, Marigold Elle Caldwell.

“These last months have been a whirlwind,” she laughed.

“The very first thing I had to do was go shopping because all I have is army camo and active wear. I looked like a scene from Pretty Woman, loaded down with all my bags full of normal, office clothes.

“Then I had to figure out the makeup – I’m a tinted sunscreen and lip balm kind of person. My niece is a make-up artist so she sent me pages of instructions. That alone was overwhelming.

“Then we’ve had the council restructure, which means everyone has been a little chaotic figuring out the new normal. It felt like every day someone was saying ‘this never happens’. Like we had people protesting 15-minute cities one day, other councillors said that never happens.

“So much has happened that if I win the election, I’ll feel like an old hand by then. Especially with so many standing councillors leaving.”

But if there’s anything that Mrs Curtis said she was good at, it was handling change – especially given her previous life in the army, where adaptability and flexibility were essential.

She said she hoped to bring to her new job certain characteristics of the army culture, where discipline was always coupled with a sense of true belonging. She said these were vital ingredients for both her hometown and her own home.

Mrs Curtis and husband Ben, who she met at 19 when working in the local newsagency – she knew he liked her when he bought the Rugby League Week magazine three times in one week, are the proud parents of two boys, and the couple have also fostered children in the past.

“I went through IVF with both my boys, so I always thought fostering would be something I could do to give back,” she said.

“Besides, why wouldn’t you want to look after these beautiful children? I don’t like to talk about it too much as I’d hate to make it political when it’s just purely personal, but giving every child that sense of belonging, along with some parental guidance, makes such a huge difference.

Shelley Curtis has been selected by councillors to replace Cameron Caldwell in Division 4.

“I think that’s something we need to try to create in our own neighbourhoods. I know that youth crime is a big issue, and I understand there is a sense of fear and anxiety, but I think if I can give kids a sense of belonging and pride in their suburb that will help prevention.

“It’s not an easy fix, but it is something that, if we can achieve, would really be long-lasting.”

Mrs Curtis said other challenges in the area ranged from dog parks to development – and almost everything in between.

She said one of her favourite parts of the job was seeing the ‘bookends’ of society – from the small element of community leaders and charity workers that fostered her faith in humanity, to the equally small element who complained about change or city decisions, but whom she respected for drawing attention where it was needed.

“We have an older demographic in this area, so it can be hard for them to see so much change happening in the city, and their suburb,” she said.

“There is a proposal for an apartment development on Sovereign Island right now and that really has people worried. I understand that, but I also understand that density is an issue that won’t go away. The most important thing I can do there is to listen.

“We also have a demographic who are possibly some of the most passionate parents of ‘fur babies’, but that can also mean high emotion in our dog parks. I’m looking at ways to change behaviours there – of humans, not dogs – without imposing too many rules, which means open and honest communication.

New Fadden MP Cameron Caldwell as seen during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“It’s such a fascinating job, and I’m a people-person so I love to meet all the residents. I love being exposed to those ‘bookends’ of the community. I always lived and saw just the middle portion, but both extremes really teach you something about not just the Gold Coast but people in general.

“It’s just a privilege to serve the town where I was born, grew up and am raising my own family. I love that my children get to have the same sort of childhood that I did.”

As much as Mrs Curtis said she loved working in her new career, she said she was so busy she almost forgot to start campaigning to keep the job.

But as a regular marathon runner and ironman triathlon competitor (that’s a 1.9km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run), she said sprinting to the finish line was never a problem.

“The other councillors keep telling me to hurry up and order my corflutes, but I’ve just been so busy concentrating on the job,” she said.

“There’s nothing like a little pressure to keep you motivated. Besides, any time I doubt myself I just remember that I can complete an ironman triathlon.”

And if Mrs Curtis needs any further motivation, she should just re-read those comments on her Facebook feed.

Originally published as Shelley Curtis fills division 4 vacancy left by Cameron Caldwell