Fraser Coast council mayoral candidates address forum

A Meet the Candidates event held in Hervey Bay and hosted by the local chamber of commerce gave Fraser Coast voters a chance to meet the men and women vying for election on March 16, and the one person who wants to take the mayor’s job off George Seymour.

Reynolds speaks at the Meet the Candidate event at TAFE Hervey Bay in Urraween on February 22.

A mayoral candidate in the upcoming Fraser Coast Regional Council election delivered a somewhat unconventional speech at a community forum in Hervey Bay recently.

The forum was held at the Tafe campus at Urraween and hosted by the Hervey Bay Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, February 22. It was attended by candidates for Divisions 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 as well as the two mayoral candidates, George Seymour and Grant Reynolds.

Mr Seymour has served as mayor since 2018 following the arrest of disgraced former mayor Chris Loft.

Mr Reynolds said he had never before contested a local council election, and that his work had taken him from Cairns to Shepparton in Victoria and the Northern Territory - previous employment included security, fruit picking, bouncer and now small business owner of Urangan leather shop White Heather Craftsman.

Grant Reynolds speaks at the Meet the Candidates event at TAFE Hervey Bay in Urraween on February 22.

“I might have been a member of the United Australia Party but I am not too sure,” Mr Reynolds responded when asked about previous political ties.

Mr Reynolds has openly expressed his opposition to the 21-storey tower development on The Esplanade at Torquay, describing in on Facebook as “ludicrous”.

On Thursday night, he presented a book written by his father about his grandfather’s experiences in the First World War.

He told the audience his grandfather served 27 years on the council of Sebastopol, which had taught him what the role of elected officials should be.

“Democracy is about councillors doing the will of the people,” he said.

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“They (councillors) are not elected to do what they think is best for you and the will of the people is paramount.”

Mr Reynolds labelled the state of manufacturing in Australia a “disgrace” and said he had recently gone to Stocklands Shopping Centre to buy a pair of shoes only to be told there were no half sizes available.

George Seymour speaks at the Meet Candidates event hosted by the Hervey Bay Chamber of Commerce at TAFE Hervey Bay on January 22, 2024.

When approached by The Chronicle for comment regarding his vision for the region if elected, Mr Reynolds declined to answer, saying “all I am going to say is bye” before walking off.

He has been open about his aversion to communicating with journalists.

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“The media represents the best interests of advertisers and not the general public in my honest opinion,” he posted to Facebook on February 20, 2024.

Mr Seymour spoke about wanting to continue on the pathway the council had been working on with regards to enticing the region’s youth to stay in the area for their education.

He highlighted the turtle rehab program the council had launched with the University of the Sunshine Coast as proof of the benefits tertiary education could bring to the region.

He also compared the strengths of Maryborough and Hervey Bay and spoke about his plans for the Fraser Coast’s biggest cities.

George Seymour speaks at the Meet Candidates event hosted by the Hervey Bay Chamber of Commerce at TAFE Hervey Bay on January 22, 2024.

“Maryborough’s strength is in manufacturing, the logistics of which will greatly improve and I am committed to expanding our industrial stakes there,” Mr Seymour said.

“Tourism is Hervey Bay’s stength, we need to market the town as a safe, tourist-friendly destination as well as highlighting the healthy sporting environment within it.”

The discussion of the two cities led to numerous members of the public gallery shouting out “amalgamation”.

The cities of Hervey Bay and Maryborough had separate councils up until 2008 when they merged with Woocoo Shire to form the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

Mr Reynolds has noted his opposition to amalgamation.

After the debate concluded, candidates from Division’s 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 addressed their individual constituents in separate rooms.

Candidates from Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as Mr Seymour and Mr Reynolds, will have the opportunity to speak with Maryborough voters on Thursday, January 29, at the Maryborough Town Hall.

The 2024 Queensland local government elections will be held on March 16.

Election guide to the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

Meet all the candidates running for election to the Fraser Coast.

Originally published as Fraser Coast council mayoral candidates address forum