We recently asked the candidates in the council election why you should vote for them
Here's what they said
The following are the unedited responses from the candidates to this question. Candidates were also invited – if they wished – to answer here some (or all) of the questions that were asked by attendees at the Candidates Forum on 3rd March (see this article for the full list of questions submitted at the forum).
Craig Moore Independent
Councils must have zoning powers to keep brothels out of residential areas, unless it’s a solo worker, working from home. More than one person working from home should then be relocated to an industrial area.
As we know nothing is (Free Bus loop) I will cut the council advertising budget to help with cost. We will give the Bus loop a 6 months trial, then evaluate the cost and effectiveness.
Wynnum Creek, South Bank style lagoon pool, added parking, floating movie nights and a Boardwalk bistros that will overlook the pool for parents, Redcliffe style jetty, rotunda, with attached protected floating pontoon saltwater pool at the end of Davenport Dr. Lota – Thorneside nature / bike path, running beside and connected to the train bridge overpass. Linking the bayside’s together. Reinforced floating pontoon walkway Darling Point to Norfolk Point. Entertaining for tourists and Imagine the joy on the children’s faces especially the kids from the newly constructed Special school at darling point as they cross the walkway more development plans for the area are on my FB page… www.facebook.com/Vote.1.Moore Once elected, I will inform our state and Federal representatives before their elections, we demand contractual agreements for funding our projects, if not I will rally the people to remove them from office.
Once elected, I formed a committee of local non-political members to oversee all my work. Monthly public meetings with zoom and FB links to discuss major building projects. If this government can stop bringing in 500,000 people a year, we might have a chance to slow down the housing crisis. Parking .. transform all parallel parking into angle parking on the waterfront where possible.
I will cut red tape and demand Granny flats must be fast tracked to help relieve the pressure on housing. The past years I have been feeding and helping the homeless, with my charity ( Sit N Chat ) we have people living in tents and cars in the Wynnum area, they have toilets locked at night and no outside showers. Yes I want affordable housing but first, I would like to build a Pod Hotel for night time housing for the homeless in the CBD with free rail transport to and from.
Bel Ellis The Greens
I own local business, Little Gnome bookshop and a sound hire business, where I have spent the past 9 years DJ’ing at most of our local schools, forging connections at a grass roots level.
I also have been raising funds for Variety, The Children’s Charity since 2019, with our Variety Bash entry, The Little Gnome Mobile. It’s the most rewarding experience and I highly recommend people getting involved with Variety.
Development and progress on the Bayside can successfully co-exist with a social, environmental and sustainable conscience l, at the forefront of design. We have to have a social conscious in every decision we make, because all walks and wheels of life call the bayside home and right now, so many are being priced out of our area.
Let’s run a council from the ground up, not the other way around.
https://greens.org.au/qld/person/bel-ellis
Alex Givney LNP
We live in the best part of Brisbane, there’s no doubt about it!
From the passionate residents, incredible local businesses, and hardworking community groups – we all have an important part to play in the Wynnum Manly culture.
As a resident of the Bayside for 20 years, I have been actively involved in our community and have formed genuine relationships with many people who live and work here.
I believe our ward has great potential but needs the right representation in Council to work productively with the Lord Mayor to get things done!
I support a healthy growth of population, which will in turn boost our local economy, alongside suitable upgrades to infrastructure to ensure we are considering the big picture.
If elected on March 16th, I will start by getting back to basics! It’s all well and good to have grand plans, but you can’t promise projects that you may not be able to deliver.
Let’s focus on the Council’s responsibilities, the four ‘R’s’. Rates, Rubbish, Roads and Recreation!
Rates: Team Schrinner continues to have the lowest rates in South East Queensland and by keeping a balanced budget and not over spending, will keep them low – simple!
Rubbish: The Schrinner team will support our resident’s needs and not make cuts to your weekly rubbish collection.
Roads: Keeping up with general maintenance and ensuring our roads are safe to drive on. We also have plans for upgrades on Wynnum Road at Hemmant and Cambridge Parade in Manly.
Recreation: We will continue to fund local events and look forward to delivering upgrades to the Wading Pool Playground. To keep our youth engaged and active, Team Schrinner will fund an off-road cycling track and consider ways to support our incredible local sporting clubs to ensure they are reaching maximum participation.
For more information about my local deliverables and the Team Schrinner plan for Brisbane, please head to my website – https://www.teamschrinner.com.au/alex-givney
If you kindly give me the chance, I will work incredibly hard to ensure we keep Brisbane and the Bayside moving!
Sara Whitmee ALP
As the local Councillor in Wynnum Manly our community is at the heart of everything that I do. We need a Council that will stand up for the suburbs of Brisbane and see investment in the heart of our local communities – not just in the inner city.
That’s why I’m so proud to commit to upgrading our local parks like Greene and Elanora, to giving a facelift to the Manly foreshore and to upgrade the gym equipment at Lota. Our Labor team have also committed to a massive $1 billion road investment across Brisbane. That will see some of the intersections that I’ve been fighting for like the Whites road roundabout or the Manly Rd, Stannard Rd intersection to be upgraded sooner.
I’m so proud to live and raise my family here in Wynnum-Manly.
The following questions were submitted by people who came along to the Candidates Forum on Saturday 3rd March. The following are Sara’s answers to some of those questions…
Q: If elected what’s your plan for the area to prosper
We need more precincts for people to go to shop, eat and have a drink that are in the heart of our community. I also think Council has a big role to play in making sure that sustainable development is done well, around these centres and around public transport hubs.
Q: When elected what will you bring of benefit to the area?
Part of my local plan for Wynnum Manly is to makeover the Manly foreshore, upgrade Greene and Elanora parks, upgrade the Lota outdoor gym equipment and to make a dog park at Ropley Road park. Our Labor commitment to invest $1 billion in our road network will also see us prioritise road upgrades like at Whites Road roundabout and Manly and Stannard Rd intersection.
Q: I have 2 young adults still living at home, most of the building in Wynnum Manly seems to be high end units out of my kids price range. Will you focus on providing affordable house to rent and buy so my kids can move out one day?
Absolutely.
Q: How do you propose to show up in the leadership role, and manage the public interest in deciding how to spend the budget when vigorous opposition to choices is in the mix of debate and decision making?
It’s hard to juggle everyone’s competing interest, and the difficult thing about being a local Councillor is not everyone is going to agree on what the priorities for spending should be. I’m committed to talking to as many people as possible, that’s why I’m always out knocking on peoples doors and calling locals. It’s clear that people in Wynnum want our fair share of council funding, we don’t want our roads to continue to be neglected and we need to see infrastructure prioritised here.
Q: My question is for the Greens and Labor candidates. Given the public stance from both parties on Australia Day and it’s tradition, if elected, will you continue to honour its significance on our calendar without making any adjustments to its merit and the pioneers of this country in which we continue to be grateful for.
As is tradition, this year I held our annual Wynnum Manly Australia Day breakfast and as your local Councillor I will continue to do so if re-elected.
Q: Do you support the $200 million investment into Victoria park?
No – this overspend by the LNP Is a classic example of their obsession with large inner city projects that don’t benefit all of Brisbane. The budget for the project continues to blow out. I would prefer this money spent on improving our roads and public transport system.
Q: The incidence of new high rise unit blocks is increasing. Do you support the inclusion of affordable housing in new developments
Absolutely.
Q: How about a council operated ferry that connected the bayside to the city?
There’s lots of things to consider here – some of our bayside is protected habitat and I’m not sure where we could locate a ferry terminal. Due to the limitations of city cats they are unable to leave the river. What I would prefer to see is a more connected bus network so we can get around between the suburbs.
Q: How would you continue to support growth of our entertainment industry while supporting the development of high rise Residential buildings.
Labor has an Arts policy to support our entertainment industry and encourage more investment in our suburbs.
Q: Most candidates and the State MP are based in Wynnum. How many times have you visited business owners and residents in the Manly and Lota areas in the last six months? What do you know about the Manly Harbour Village Chamber’s role and how council could assist in our efforts to provide value to the area?
I couldn’t count how many times I’ve visited specific businesses in Manly and Lota however I can tell you that my family and I love Manly. My husband and I celebrate our anniversary at the Boat House, we love having lunch at Sea Vibes and one of my favourite hideaways is Cafe La Mer. I am the only candidate with money on the table to help boost the work that has already been done by MHV and I want the chamber to have a say on how that money is spent.
Q: A recent hot topic of policy has been youth crime. While a majority of policy promises have been on the law enforcement end of this issue, do the candidates (or their representative parties) have policy proposals addressing root causes such as social disengagement?
I believe we need to support community groups that specifically target this. I was astounded to hear that BCC has not continued to fund one of BABIs programs that provides a safe space for kids to go. The Lord Mayor has said he wants the fix youth crime but he consistently walks away from programs that address the root causes.
Q: Why the mosquitoes situation on the Bayside not getting any better if we are supposedly spraying every year?
Because the administration doesn’t spray often enough or early enough. The Lord Mayor needs to be better at this, especially as we become more tropical in every passing year.
