Federal Election 2022: Hinchinbrook mayor’s plea at Kennedy candidates’ forum
A popular North Queensland mayor has delivered a strong take-home message for the winner of the seat of Kennedy during a candidates’ forum in Ingham.
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A popular North Queensland mayor has delivered a strong take-home message for the winner of the seat of Kennedy during a candidates’ forum in Ingham.
Hinchinbrook Mayor Ramon Jayo took to the stage to address the candidates directly, saying that like other rural regions, the Shire was “hurting”.
He said the council was attempting to diversify the Hinchinbrook economy away from a sole reliance on the sugar-cane industry “but we are finding the going extremely tough”.
“There is a lot of talk from all walks of politics about the regions being the powerhouses of Australia, but we have banks withdrawing face-to-face services in our town,” he said.
“That is not only a problem for the elderly of our community who are not tech savvy, but it is also not a good impression when trying to attract people to invest in and live in our Shire.”
Cr Jayo said rural areas were also facing mortgage discrimination, “where people seeking loans are slugged with requirements for enormous deposits that make lending unattainable.”
“Banking is a Federal responsibility, and whilst we understand that governments are reluctant to become involved in private-sector matters, there should be some form of social responsibility for licences to operate where this form of discrimination does not occur.”
He said the council unashamedly urged members of the community to stick with banks that retained a physical presence in Ingham.
“The point is that when we lose services such as this, our community suffers and our ability to grow declines.”
Cr Jayo said a lack of housing also limited opportunities to fill job vacancies.
“We have labour shortages in this district, both skilled and unskilled, that is affecting and will continue to affect our productivity.”
The issue was compounded by a number of communication blackspots in Hinchinbrook.
“You cannot watch uninterrupted television at Lucinda nor can you make mobile phone calls from Stone River or Forrest Beach, which is significantly problematic,” he said.
“These factors all go against us when we are trying to promote our liveability and boost our productivity.”
Cr Jayo urged the Federal Government to do more “to help us with these smaller non-sexy problems so that we can help ourselves … to grow”.
“And I don’t need to remind you of the costs of living and the increases to farming commodities,” he said.
“You are already well aware of that.”
Bruce Highway bypass will ‘never happen’: Katter
A political forum in the Kennedy electorate ahead of the Federal Elections was enlivened by a fringe “conspiracy theorist” and a candidate’s response that left incumbent MP Bob Katter holding his head in his hands.
After candidate introductions and responses to questions from members of the audience gathered at the Kelly Theatre in Hinchinbrook on Thursday, the four candidates were asked their thoughts on the controversial proposed Ingham Bypass.
The Kennedy incumbent said he was “tenaciously opposed” to the project, which would see traffic on the Bruce diverted west of Ingham and the Hinchinbrook Shire’s coastal townships.
“You bypass the town and you destroy the town completely,” Mr Katter said at the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce-organised forum.
The Katter’s Australian Party MP said that ever since he had removed himself from the constraints of the National Party he had enjoyed being able to “bash” the major political parties for policies that were detrimental to his constituents.
“When I got out, I could inflict pain and that’s how we got the results, so if the government wishes to build that bypass then you watch out and look at my reputation,” he said.
“You attempt to do that bypass and there will be hell to pay.”
Despite the rhetoric, LNP candidate Bryce MacDonald, a former Cassowary Coast deputy mayor, said towns up and down the Bruce Highway were “designed to bypass”, including Ingham and Cardwell, as was the case with Innisfail.
He said it was imperative that any potential bypass be planned so as to have the least negative effect on the local economy.
“When it happens, and it probably will happen …,” Mr MacDonald said before Mr Katter slapped his forehead and interrupted.
“No it won’t, no it won’t, I’m sorry, it’s not going to happen.”
Mr MacDonald told Mr Katter not to interrupt, saying that the bypass must be planned to ensure access to Ingham and the Lower Herbert was not impeded and the shrinking ratepayer base not financially encumbered.
Labor Party Candidate Jason Brandon, a health and safety executive in the mining industry in Mount Isa, confessed he had a limited knowledge about the bypass.
“If the bypass does happen, and it makes sense to me as a health and safety person, I am always concerned about big trucks going through a major centre.”
He said if the bypass eventuated, then Ingham needed to be “set up so it doesn’t fail”, including ensuring tourism was not impacted.
“We need to make sure that this is a place where people want to go and it’s only the trucks that are bypassing, if we can do that then we can keep people safe and we can obviously add efficiencies for transport from Townsville to Cairns.”
United Australia Party candidate Peter Campion, a retired firefighter who had earlier conceded that some considered him a “conspiracy theorist” and launched into a series of extraordinary claims, was also opposed, highlighting his experience from Cairns.
“I’ll tell you what, the Cairns CBD now is a ghost town, it smells like urine, there are piles of drunk, wrecked, drunken criminals sleeping in doorways with piles of urine and faeces laying around.”
Bumper sugar-cane harvest for North Queensland
Independent candidate Jen Sackley and Queensland Greens candidate Jennifer Cox were not present.
Originally published as Federal Election 2022: Hinchinbrook mayor’s plea at Kennedy candidates’ forum
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