Dave Golding runs for Division 6 in Gympie council election 2024

After fighting for his life following a fall from his horse, a farmer and campdrafter wants to represent Gympie’s western regions and vows to bring a “fresh approach” to council.

A man who only eight months ago was in a coma following an incident at a campdraft has made a miraculous near-full recovery and has saddled up for an election race.

Sexton resident, retired farmer and builder Dave Golding said he was an active member of Gympie’s equestrian community and ready to bring the representation the Division 6 Kilkivan and Goomeri communities needed to the Gympie council.

He said with the amount of growth in the area he wanted to improve things.

“There’s a lot of retired people and older people moving to Kilkivan and Goomeri and I’d like to see them get a lot more support and the facilities that they need to continue to enjoy the later years of their life,” he said.

He said the biggest issue was increasing rates.

Dave Golding is running for Division 6 in Gympie council elections 2024. Picture: Christine Schindler

“But the roads especially are lacking maintenance and they have done for quite a few years now,” he said.

In 2019, Mr Golding took to Sexton Rd in protest when the council tried to grade the road – he said grading was making it worse.

Dealing with a growing population in Gympie’s western reaches was also important, he said.

“The infrastructure for water and sewerage in Kilkivan and Goomeri need to be upgraded to keep up with the population growth in those areas,” Mr Golding said.

“I can bring a fresh approach and new ideas.”

Originally published as Dave Golding runs for Division 6 in Gympie council election 2024