Bundaberg councillors rate their performance since 2020 election

With the clock counting down to the 2024 election, Bundaberg councillors have given their assessment on how they have performed across the past three years, and where mistakes were made. Vote in our poll:

Bundaberg councillors have given their assessment on how they have performed across the past three years, and where mistakes were made.

Now that we know who is (or may be) running in 2024, let’s find out how Bundaberg’s councillors rate their performance since the 2020 election.

We asked your councillors for a self-rating, and whether they had kept the promises they had made in the 2020 campaign.

Unsurprisingly, all councillors who responded said they have performed well and kept their promises.

Two zero general rates rises and the doubling of the pension rebate in the 2023-24 budget were among the items pointed to by Mayor Jack Dempsey as wins in the current term.

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Councillors Cooper and Learmonth said they did not make any promises in the last campaign, with Mr Cooper elected unopposed in division 8 in 2020.

Most councillors declined to go into great detail in a self-rating, deferring to the judgement of the Bundaberg ratepayers.

“I never rate myself, I do my best and the ratepayers will make their decision, this is the democratic process,” deputy Mayor and Division 2 Councillor Bill Trevor said.

Councillors Habermann and Barnes alluded to the challenges of democratic decision-making in delivering on promises, with Mr Habermann confessing to being “disappointed” with some decisions made by Council.

“I have been very disappointed by some decisions which have been made and effected, but that is how Council operates and I have to accept those decisions and work with them,” he said.

When probed further, Mr Habermann cited the timing of the demolition of Anzac Pool as one of the issues that passed without his support.

Councillor Habermann said the timing of the demolition of Anzac Pool was one of the issues that was approved by Council without his support.

“I argued strongly that the former Anzac Pool should have remained open until the new Aquatic Centre was open,” Mr Habermann said.

“I also argued strongly that the former Anzac Pool should not have been demolished while it was the subject of a Heritage Listing application.”

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Responses from Councillors Tracey McPhee, Wayne Honor, Tanya McLoughlin and May Mitchell were not received by deadline.

Originally published as Bundaberg councillors rate their performance since 2020 election