This week, we give you a firsthand account of a ‘Meet the Candidate” presentation. This is one of a series of meetings held by several community groups to introduce candidates. Last week, Redland City News journalist Neave Moore attended the meeting held by the Redlands 2030 group, and in the following story she reports on the meeting.
This week, we will be attending the meeting organised by Champions Redland Coast and presenting our report in the following edition.
Gail Forrer
REDLAND City Council candidates were introduced to the community at the latest Redlands 2030 meeting, where they had the opportunity to present their platforms, answer questions and speak with members of the public.
Councillor candidates Trent Ford, Jack Barton, Wendy Boglary (Division 1) and mayoral candidate Jos Mitchell had seven minutes to introduce their campaign and an additional seven minutes to answer public questions including plans to address youth crime, electorate development and growth, tourism, and mobile reception.
Redlands 2030’s Steve MacDonald welcomed the community to the Cleveland Scout Hall and introduced the candidates, encouraging a respectful audience during the presentations.
Mr Ford (Division 3) spoke about his family values and commitment to the area, as well as his commitment to youth engagement and consistent communication between Council and community.
Mr Ford said he wanted to look towards a “catch up” with local infrastructure and to encourage a local government that would hold leadership and take accountability.
Mr Barton (Division 8) is new to local government and said he runs his campaign on creating a council that takes responsibility and a council that listens.
He said that a good council and councillor are “here to listen” and that “local advocacy means listening to locals”.
Despite a disrupted Questions and Answers segment, Mr Barton expressed his interest in developing Redlands tourism whilst maintaining the environment, through ideas including a caravan park.
Cr Boglary spoke on the Jos Mitchell Leading Change collective and her continued fight for a transparent council.
Cr Boglary said that she had sat alongside a “decade worth of games” in local council and wants to stop “reckless decision making” with so much at stake in the 2020-24 term.
Mayoral candidate Jos Mitchell spoke about the need for a community-minded council and have “division and discourse no more” regarding communication and responsible expenditure.
Ms Mitchell’s focuses were the youth, public art, tourism, aged care and disability support, infrastructure, and overall growth.
She said that the council needs to be “more engaged with our youth” and encourage collaboration with other levels of government.
Ms Mitchell was asked about her plans to address mobile reception around the electorate and the Toondah development, to which she said she would echo the community.
Other candidates present in the audience, included Angel Crowden, Meisha Read and mayoral candidate Andrew Laming.
The full speeches provided by Redland City Council candidates are available:
Visit the Redlands2030 Facebook and YouTube pages.
