Tony Price
Division 2 Candidate
High-rises in Airlie Beach – what are your views on allowing more to be built in our local holiday town?
The Whitsundays is facing a critical housing and accommodation crisis that threatens our growth and prosperity. We have inadequate housing for our valuable staff and a shortage of top-quality accommodation. I support council’s existing Town Plan which outlines Highrise limits for Airlie Beach. It’s vital that Council supports developers and works towards some quality, medium density highrise accommodation enabling tourism/retail/hospitality opportunities underneath. We need to work together to ensure the relationships between council, developers and the community are positive.
Hamilton Plains often floods cutting off access to the hospital and airport - how would you advocate for better infrastructure so residents have access?
It has been announced that a $21Million upgrade to Hamilton Plains has been approved with the Federal Government contributing 80 per cent and State 20 per cent with work expected to commence in Mid-2024. We need to ensure it happens. The back road to Proserpine through Strathdickie often floods at Crofton Creek so this should also be addressed. Talking hospital, it’s time Council pressed the State Government to plan for an Emergency Hospital near Cannonvale so any crisis can be avoided.
The Bowen Jetty – what would you like to see happen with this community asset in the future?
This could be a wonderful attraction if developed in the right manner. If upgraded to its former glory, wouldn’t it be great to see a Whitsunday boating operator picking up guests from Bowen and bringing them to Cape Gloucester/Montes, Airlie Beach and back? The Jetty is a Bowen icon and should be preserved in some form if possible. It’s great to see North Queensland Bulk Ports providing residents an opportunity for feedback to ensure a win-win result for Bowen and the heritage-listed jetty.
Ted Cunningham Bridge – where do you think fault lies with this situation and how would you have managed it better?
I don’t have access to all the details that current councillors would have regarding Ted Cunningham Bridge but from community discussion I understand that the approach should have been built with concrete instead of gravel and bitumen. Common Sense in Council has always been my motto and fast-flowing water will always be an issue so better planning and design should be looked into. It’s vital that the approach be reinstated securely as it’s a lifeline for many graziers and businesspeople.
Ry Collins
Mayoral Candidate
High-rises in Airlie Beach – what are your views on allowing more to be built in our local holiday town?
My views are plain and simple with regards to high rise and any development in our region - we need to be assessing them in accordance with our planning scheme. If that planning scheme isn’t fit for purpose anymore then we need to be engaging with our community to really understand exactly what it is that they want, and how our town should look.
Hamilton Plains often floods cutting off access to the hospital and airport - how would you advocate for better infrastructure so residents have access?
I’ve got a very good background in advocacy, good relationships with the State Government and what I’ve already committed is within my 90 days that I’ll meet with transport minister Bart Mellish to discuss Hamilton Plains along with our other key roads that are problems in the region and really develop a plan for how we address these.
The Bowen Jetty – what would you like to see happen with this community asset in the future?
The Bowen jetty, is an important piece of Bowen’s history and I’ve had the luxury of being heavily involved with the project already, through my existing relationships in Bowen and with North Queensland Bulk Ports. Really for me it’s all about connectivity, its ensuring that we have an asset there that adjoins the Bowen foreshore and is able to connect back through to our main street of town.
Ted Cunningham Bridge – where do you think fault lies with this situation and how would you have managed it better?
It ultimately comes down to communication to me. From my perspective someone needs to take leadership on this issue and really look to connect the dots between what’s going wrong from a contractor perspective and make sure that the needs of the community are addressed.
Richard Evans
Mayoral Candidate
High-rises in Airlie Beach – what are your views on allowing more to be built in our local holiday town?
There are two parts to this question – do we need high quality 5-star tourist accommodation? And is there a shortage of housing in the Whitsundays?
Firstly, we don’t need to be the Gold Coast. I think the 12-story development is a mistake. The community clearly doesn’t want it and questions remain about process. However, we do need properly planned 5-star developments.
We also need housing, and we should consider high density housing to accommodate the demands of the community.
Hamilton Plains often floods cutting off access to the hospital and airport - how would you advocate for better infrastructure so residents have access?
To have any community cut off during wet season is totally unacceptable. The state government has approved works over 12 months ago, and yet there is no action. Indeed, the TMR is negligent in the manner it maintains roads across the Whitsundays. The potholes on our major roads are a disgrace.
Desk thumping advocacy is required and in an election year there is a perfect opportunity for us to get action. We need to improve the attitudes of the TMR.
The Bowen Jetty – what would you like to see happen with this community asset in the future?
Bowen Jetty is an important historical location, and the community wants it saved. However, saving it should be part of an entire development of Bowen Wharf, harbour, and foreshore. In consultation with the community, we must look at opportunities that may exist for development beyond just saving the Jetty, such as dry dock facilities. The Jetty cannot be a stand-alone project and we need to work to provide facilities that incorporates it.
Ted Cunningham Bridge – where do you think fault lies with this situation and how would you have managed it better?
The Bridge and its complex aftermath are problematic of my issues with Council making decisions. Clearly the management of the project remains inadequate with no accountability taken. This tells me a culture of chaos exists where no-one takes responsibility. If this lack of responsibility exists in a project, then that culture permeates throughout the entire operation. I think the bridge is emblematic of culture and systems in place that at times wastes money. I’ll bring accountability culture to council.
Phil Batty
Mayoral Candidate
High-rises in Airlie Beach – what are your views on allowing more to be built in our local holiday town?
We already have high rises, nine and a half stories over at the Sebel but its hidden against the hill. So, I’m not against high rise per say, but, I am against high rises sticking out in the middle of the foreshore and the precedent it sets for the rest of the town, because there are people that are sitting on land projects that are waiting to get final approval so they can build higher. I don’t want to see that; I think the foreshore needs to stay as it is and I think there’s opportunity to build higher density than high rise.
Hamilton Plains often floods cutting off access to the hospital and airport - how would you advocate for better infrastructure so residents have access?
In the 22 years that I’ve been here, every four years, somebody says they’re going to fix Hamilton Plains as part of their election campaign and every four years somebody else says that they’re going to do it but it never happens. I think I can get that over the line and get that fixed. The main plains that are flooding are 450 metres long, if we can’t fix the 450 metre stretch of flood plain then I think there’s something missing somewhere. There’s an election coming up in October, state elections, the Government in charge will start allocating funds.
The Bowen Jetty – what would you like to see happen with this community asset in the future?
I walked Bowen Jetty only a couple of months ago from end to end, it’s in a state of disrepair but I don’t think it’s beyond the point of salvage. The plans at the moment are about demolishing it and building a new one and I don’t think that necessary. I walked Bowen CBD yesterday and talked to some shop owners and one of the things that came up was a really simple fix for livability. They wanted to see some fishing rod holders and bait stations down the jetty and maybe a few seats so people can sit down and to me that’s a very simple $10,000 fix. Why can’t we just get it done and move on and get it sorted? But I think the jetty’s got loads of potential if the surface that’s starting to deteriorate is repaired you can have cafes, you can have marine signs, you can have all sorts of things on that jetty without going to the disruption of knocking it down.
Ted Cunningham Bridge – where do you think fault lies with this situation and how would you have managed it better?
Difficult question and subject to a court case probably although the council say they’ve had some without prejudice discussions with the designers and the builders of the bridge. The span of the bridge simply wasn’t long enough and the lead in and lead out was the biggest issue. It wasn’t going well, it washed away in four days. Somewhere between the original designer, the construction company that actually built the bridge, and the council that provided the lead in and lead out of the bridge. Somebody has to be held liable and responsible. I’m not sure how in the legal sense that’s playing out at the moment but for something that cost millions of dollars to wash out in four days means that it’s a serious issue and somebody needs to step up and find out who it was and get it fixed and get them to pay for it.
Clay Bauman
Division 2 Candidate
High-rises in Airlie Beach – what are your views on allowing more to be built in our local holiday town?
I support developments that embrace Airlie’s unique charm. We don’t have "high-rise". I believe the court approval, laden with limitations or “killed with conditions”, will probably never be built. My aim is for the Council to collaborate, not conflict, with both community and developers who genuinely appreciate Airlie's special character.
Hamilton Plains often floods cutting off access to the hospital and airport - how would you advocate for better infrastructure so residents have access?
Our priorities are clear and must be communicated concisely to the State, through our Mayor. With 77 councils all having wish lists, councillors making individual requests to Ministers, risks creating confusion. A unified and coordinated approach from our Council will strengthen our voice and ensure our needs are heard effectively.
The Bowen Jetty – what would you like to see happen with this community asset in the future?
For me preserving the jetty's history and character is key. Given the high repair costs I’ve heard bandied about, restoring the original timber of a shorter jetty with desired improvements would be most feasible. I think this approach could maximise the jetty’s potential within the $50 million budget currently available.
Ted Cunningham Bridge – where do you think fault lies with this situation and how would you have managed it better?
After reviewing the email exchange and an expert report post-washout, it's clear to me that the contractor underestimated the flood water’s impact. My priority is reopening the bridge and avoiding a costly court battle over blame. I think giving clearer instructions and contracts in future could prevent such problems again.
