March 1, 2008 - The South Burnett Times recently published this great photograph of some of the mayoral and council candidates for the March 15 election on the steps of the courthouse ... and we are all smiling!

Pictured from left: Terry Fleischfresser (Div 3), Col Guse (Div 5), Kathy Duff (Div 5), Bob Coleman (mayoral candidate), George Hilliard (mayoral candidate), Lionel Kerr (Div 1), Arthur "Bullet" Bradley (Div 6), Max Lehmann (Div 3), Damien Tessmann (Div 3) and Bob Mitchell (Div 5)

The full list of candidates:

Mayor: David Carter, Bob Coleman, George Hilliard, James Horton, Wayne Kratzmann

Division 1: Barry Green, Lionel Kerr, Ted Tucker, Bruce Webb, Glen Yeates

Division 2: Ros Gregor, Debra Palmer, Brian Tillyer

Division 3: Terry Fleischfresser, Max Lehmann, Damien Tessman

Division 4: Keith Campbell (as there were no other candidates in this Division, I have been elected unopposed)

Division 5: Peter Angel, Peter Coombes, Kathy Duff, Col Guse

Division 6: Cheryl Dalton, Bob Mitchell, Arthur Bradley, Kevin Polzin, Trish Bird

March 1, 2008 - Bean counters often get a bad reputation ... but not when the beans in question are bright blue jelly beans and the competition to count them helped to raise much-needed funds for charity.

ANZ Blue Week, a week-long fundraising effort by ANZ staff, raised a total of $1770.10 for a proposed kitchen extension by Kingaroy Meals on Wheels.

The cheque from ANZ has put the drive to raise $40,000 for the extension firmly on track.

As president of Kingaroy Meals on Wheels, I would like to thank the ANZ staff for their fundraising effort and congratulate Tenille Robins who guessed there were 2568 blue jellybeans in the bucket! Photo courtesy: South Burnett Times

February 29, 2008 - The historic rotunda in Memorial Park, Kingaroy, (right), a unique memorial honoring World War I battlefields, will undergo a $50,000 facelift thanks to the Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch and Kingaroy Shire Council.

I was very pleased to represent Council with Director of Engineering Ian Slader at a ceremony at the rotunda last Friday. Representatives from the RSL Sub-Branch presented Council with a cheque for $10,000 to assist with the project. Funding has also be accessed from the State Government's Community Memorial Restoration Program.

The old dome on the rotunda which was made in the 1930s from a bitumen-coated fabric, will be replaced with a waterproof fibreglass dome.

Photo courtesy: South Burnett Times

February 21, 2008 - As you probably know the deadline for nominations for the March 15 local government election closed on Tuesday this week.

Much to my surprise, no one else nominated in Division 4 - the Division I am contesting - so I have been elected unopposed!

I am very humbled by the trust shown in me by the residents of Division 4 and am also very thankful for the assistance provided to me during this campaign by my friends and supporters. I fully anticipated that there would have been a much larger field and was expecting to have to campaign hard for the role.

But nothing has changed ... I still want to hear your views and need your input on subjects of local interest so I can fulfil my role as a councillor and best serve the local community. I am looking forward to the first meeting of the new South Burnett Regional Council. I am sure we have some exciting times ahead in the region!

February 11, 2008 - It seems we all want something more for our kids and youth to do but we’re not out there actively doing too much about it.

At least that was the challenge put to me by a resident over the weekend: It’s up to Council, business and the community in general to get motivated and start the ball rolling to establish a Police Citizens Youth Club in Kingaroy.

Giving our youth more to do is a common theme among people that I have been talking to over the past weeks.

PCYCs are managed by a police sergeant supported by an administrative team. The programs offered are structured, supervised and cover activities that would keep any young person fully engaged. They provide activities after school as well.

It’s important in the concept phase to have the PCYC sufficiently central so that kids can walk or ride to it without being inconvenienced.

A PCYC teaches a healthy respect in terms of relationships with the Police. And it would be for all young people, not just the kids that might need mentoring or positive role models.

My research tells me that there is an allocation of only one club each year throughout Queensland and the areas chosen are approved by the Government of the day.

It won’t happen unless we make it happen. If we want more for our kids to be involved in then this is one great idea and cause to get behind and through our various organisations support it to the maximum.

UPDATE February 15: A public meeting is being held in Murgon next Tuesday (Feb 19) to discuss the establishment of a South Burnett PCYC in The Pulse building (the old YMCA) at Murgon. This is a great idea and one that I support wholeheartedly! The Community Information Night, organised by Murgon Shire Council and the Queensland Police Service, will be held at The Pulse in Macalister Street from 7:00pm. I'll be there and I hope there is a strong roll-up from the community!

February 7, 2008 - After a bit of arm-twisting, I was convinced to embrace the "new media" and make a video for YouTube.

All this proves, I guess, is that I will make a better councillor than I will a movie star!

Just press the play button below:

February 4, 2008 - I have been approached about the need for a properly organised recycling service in the South Burnett.

Too much of what could be recycled still finishes up in the landfill. Bottles, cans, cardboard and paper would be the most popular items that most homeowners would collect but there are probably other items that also be recycled.

A commercial business operates in Kingaroy however this business would only be capturing a small percentage of what should be recycled.

Maybe we need a separate garbage bin for recyclables collected on different days to the normal household rubbish? What do you think? Maybe if there was some type of value placed on recyclable material, then homeowners and businesses might be more inclined to separate recyclable material from general rubbish.

As time advances and landfill space becomes a premium, this will become a very important issue.

Readers might like to tell me what else they could foresee as meeting their needs.

January 31, 2008 - Another suggestion put to me recently by local residents concerns walking - a great form of exercise and a simple pleasure of an early morning or in the evening.

People would also like to walk into town to do their shopping but Kingaroy is not connected with walkways from the newer residential estates and walking on the roadway is not safe.

People have commented to me that they would like more walkways connecting concrete footpaths (where provided) with organized walkways leading to each of the most populated areas of Kingaroy.

What a great way to keep fit and healthy!

January 30, 2008 - I hope you all enjoyed the Australia Day weekend.

My wife Marion and I attended the Australia Day Celebrations in Wondai on Saturday and caught up with some old friends, including Carol Horsnell and her husband Des, (right).

Carol is the chief cook for Wondai Meals on Wheels so we were able to talk and compare the Wondai Service with what we have in Kingaroy. Des is also a former employee of Bean Growers Australia. He worked there many years ago when I first became Manager.

The Wondai Celebrations were very well supported and I'm sure almost everyone in Wondai attended. Congratulations Wondai!

We then came back to Kingaroy for the announcement of Kingaroy Shire Council's last Australia Day Awards.

We had the absolute pleasure to meet and talk with Australia Day Ambassador Marayke Jonkers, (left). Marayke became a paraplegic in a car accident when she was only eight months old. Her life story and success as a paralympian is a real inspiration. She has two university degrees and is a well-known public speaker.

She will be off to Beijing for the 2008 Paralympics I'm sure the many Kingaroy folk who heard her speak on Saturday will be enthusiastically following her participation in the swimming events. Go Marayke and bring home gold!

January 22, 2008 - As I have been moving about talking to people, I have invited them to comment on issues that they see as important.

Here are some of the ideas and concerns expressed to me:

• Maps of the Six Divisions - Most residents have no idea of which Division they reside in.
  
  I have been alert to this issue and have included these maps on this website.
  If you have questions about the maps, please do not hesitate to contact me!
  
  
• Water Security - This is a subject that is on everyone’s mind.
  
  Residents are worried about the future water supply for Kingaroy. I have given them an assurance that the Kingaroy Council is very aware of the water situation and is taking steps to purchase a new allocation from the Boondooma Dam to provide water for Kingaroy. These negotiations are well in progress and should be completed within a reasonable time frame. When these negotiation are complete and we can start drawing water from Boondooma, the quality of water delivered to Kingaroy will actually improve. This has to be something that we would all welcome!
  
  
• Upgrade of Kingaroy’s CBD - People are saying that the footpaths in the CBD area look tired and need to be refreshed. Also, some buildings in the CBD could do with a facelift. The footpaths look dirty and unattractive.
  
  An upgrade is on the agenda of the Kingaroy Council. If elected as your representative, I will ensure that this matter is on the agenda for the new South Burnett Council - and is actually delivered.
  
  
• Redevelop Town Hall Forecourt - This is a prime spot in Kingaroy and has been sadly neglected in terms of beautification. It should represent a Town Centre meeting place complete with landscaped gardens, shrubs and shaded areas, maybe even a coffee shop.
  
  It sounds like a wonderful idea!
  
  
• Cheers Triangle (near Kingaroy Showground) - Sadly, the drought has taken toll of several of the trees here. This area is in a prime location and should make a statement for visitors to Kingaroy. It could act as a respite spot for a cup of tea or a toilet break. Of course, toilets would need to be added.
  
  This area needs redevelopment preserving some of the trees but making it a more user friendly and an attractive facility at the entrance to Kingaroy.
  
  
• Street Lights - The approaches to Kingaroy need more lighting.
  
  As the town grows, light it up to make it more appealing, also, it may help with curtailing vandalism.
  
  
• Social Infrastructure - Parents would like more activities to involve their children during school holidays and weekends. Young adults and the young marrieds would also like activities other than the “pub scene” to socialise.
  
  Some of you may like to further add to this concept.

The "Big Picture" items involving development, future projects, new business infrastructure, social facilities are what Council is all about. I guarantee that I will apply a professional and common sense approach to dealing with each of them as they come about.

However, it’s also the little items that add a quality to the place where we live.
Your views of those things that you might like are very important to me.

Why not give me a call (4162-1249 or 0407-621-243) or send me an email? I will preserve your confidentiality.