Maroochydore, Buderim candidates reveal promises ahead of 2024 Qld state election

Youth crime and cost-of-living are front and centre for 2024 state election candidates running in Maroochydore and Buderim, with one also making a massive call on the shelved Mooloolah River Interchange.

Youth crime and cost-of-living are front and centre for candidates running in the seats of Maroochydore and Buderim in the Queensland state election.

Youth crime and cost-of-living are front and centre for candidates running in the seats of Maroochydore and Buderim in the Queensland state election.

First-time Labor candidate Naomi McQueen will attempt to take the seat of Maroochydore from the LNP’s Fiona Simpson, who has held the electorate since 1992.

The latest figures supplied by the Electoral Commission Queensland show Buderim, which includes Palmview, Mountain Creek and Sippy Downs, with 41,852 voter enrolments and Maroochydore, which stretches from Mooloolaba to Point Arkwright, with 38,251.

Maroochydore

Maroochydore ALP candidate Naomi McQueen.

Naomi McQueen

Age: 43

Party: Labor

Political experience: First-time candidate

Life experience: I live in Twin Waters with my husband raising our teenage children.

I have experienced first-hand the increased pressure on family budgets with rising household bills and have seen the benefit of the Miles Labor Government’s real cost of living relief like the $1000 energy rebate, 20% off rego and $200 Fair Play vouchers.

Working as an air traffic controller for the past 20 years at the Sunshine Coast Airport, I see how our suburbs are changing as more people choose to call this beautiful part of Queensland home.

I know only a Miles Labor Government will deliver the infrastructure and services our community needs, like the Sunshine Coast Rail and upgrades to the Bruce Hwy.

What am I passionate about: Being an advocate for my community by volunteering for groups like OzHarvest and Park Run, and working hard to ensure as the community grows the Sunshine Coast maintains its beautiful coastal charm.

I also want to see Sunshine Coast families and the community flourish by delivering the services they need such as health, education and better local jobs.

My key promise: I want to work with the Labor government in continuing to do what matters to the Sunshine Coast community.

Ensuring BreastScreen Queensland has a permanent clinical home here in Maroochydore is great news for our community and shows that Steven Miles is dedicated to making sure every Queenslander has access to health services closer to home.

Right here on the Sunshine Coast, the Premier has hired more doctors, nurses and ambos and we have a fully funded plan to hire an extra 801 health workers this year on the Sunshine Coast.

Maroochydore LNP member Fiona Simpson.

Fiona Simpson

Age: 59

Party: Liberal National Party, Member for Maroochydore.

Political experience: Shadow Minister for Finance, Better Regulation and Integrity in Government.

Previous roles include Speaker, former deputy opposition leader and other portfolios.

Life experience: I have grown up on the Sunshine Coast attending local primary and state high schools before becoming a journalist.

I won the Dalgetys Excellence in Rural Journalist Award winner (Qld) and later the YWCA 125 Top Queensland Women.

As a community advocate with experience helping many locals organisations from surf life saving to the coast guard, I spearheaded the campaign to successfully bring public access to radiation oncology services on the Sunshine Coast.

What I’m passionate about: People living in tents is a crisis.

So is the youth crime issue with Queensland now the car theft capital of Australia.

That has to be fixed with better laws and more police, which the LNP has committed to in government.

Fixing homelessness and securing housing affordability, creating safer communities, better access to health services and helping address the cost of living crisis which is putting pressure on household budgets are all priorities for an LNP government.

It is vital to restore the transport projects that have been cancelled and delayed by the Labor government so our region can meet today’s challenges as well as the future.

My key promise: Under an LNP government, building the road, rail and public transport networks that connect Maroochydore to SEQ and the Sunshine Coast, including building the Mooloolah River Interchange (MRI) which was cancelled by Labor is critical. However, rewriting the youth justice act and supporting more police and better health services are also priorities.

Heinrich Koekemoer, Maroochydore Greens candidate.

Heinrich Koekemoer

Age: 19

As your Greens candidate for Maroochydore, my top priority is properly investing in our healthcare system.

We’ll address the chronic underfunding of the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service by funding urgent care clinics and a sustainable increase in hospital staffing to increase bed capacity.

We’ll also set up clinics across Queensland staffed with publicly employed GPs, nurses, physiotherapists and psychologists to provide bulk-billed medical services and 20 free psychology sessions to every Queenslander.

I believe the people of Maroochydore deserve a representative who will fight for them, putting their needs above the interests of wealthy corporations.

Labor and the LNP take millions from big developers, rich corporations and mining companies.

As a Greens candidate, I refuse corporate donations which means that as your MP I’d represent you, not vested interests.

I’m running in this election because I believe Greens policies can make a real difference in the lives of everyday people.

I want to show the major parties that young people on the Sunshine Coast deserve to have their voices heard.

Mark Wadeson

Party: Independent

Kyle Haley

Party: One Nation

Buderim

Buderim MP Brent Mickelberg. Picture: Attila Csaszar

Brent Mickelberg

Age: 42

Party: LNP

Political experience: Elected as Member for Buderim in 2017

Life experience: Academic qualifications include a Masters of Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Applied Science – Animal Studies.

After completing high school and university, I worked as a stockman in the United States and on large cattle stations in the Northern Territory.

I was drawn to a career in the military and enlisted in the Australian Army in 2004.

I deployed on operational service to Afghanistan, Timor Leste and on border protection operations around Australia.

Following my military service, I worked as an agribusiness bank manager and financial advisor before moving into politics.

What I’m passionate about: As a father of four young children, I am passionate about my family and ensuring every Queensland family has a safe community to live, work and attend school.

I also a have keen interest in veteran affairs.

My key promise: My key promise is to always fight for the Sunshine Coast to get its fair share.

I will work alongside my state and federal colleagues to ensure we have increased services and the right infrastructure.

First and foremost, our community must be safe.

That is why the LNP will toughen Queensland’s laws to restore consequences for anyone doing the wrong thing. We will put the rights of victims first, and ensure youth offenders who commit serious crimes, like breaking into homes and stealing cars, will face adult sentences.

Deborah Moseley.

Deborah Moseley

Party: Queensland Greens

Right now, the inequity in our community is growing.

Too many people are one paycheck away from homelessness and hunger.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

If we make big corporations pay their fair share, we can all have the services we need to live a good life.

The Sunshine Coast residents have the highest car dependency in Queensland — we need to provide effective town plans and free, frequent public transport to make it easy to get from place to place.

Preparing for the Olympic Games means developing a legacy of safe housing and delivering infrastructure that enable young people to be active in our community like bike paths, trails and free sports.

All of our children deserve a better future with housing security, a healthy planet, beautiful wildlife and support for all aspects of their wellbeing.

Labor candidate Adrian Burke for Buderim.

Adrian Burke

Party: Queensland Labor

Making sure families on the Sunshine Coast are supported is what drives me, and I can do that through the Miles Labor Government’s cost of living relief like 50 cent fares and free kindy.

Every Queensland community will benefit from the Miles Government’s vision for renewables in the Sunshine State and it’s a team I am proud to be part of.

Ryan Beall

Party: One Nation

Shaun Sandow

Party: Legalise Cannabis Queensland

Originally published as Maroochydore, Buderim candidates reveal promises ahead of 2024 Qld state election