Local elections are approximately four weeks away and shortly you’ll see candidates for the roles of Mayor and Councillor ramp up their campaigns.
Early voting will run from Monday, 4 March to Friday, 15 March 2024 (excluding the weekend) and Election Day will be on Saturday 16th March where polling booths will be open from 8am until 6pm.
Remember, it’s compulsory to vote in local elections for all Australian citizens aged 18 years and over, and this is regardless of whether you are a tenant or property owner. Another myth circulating is that you can not vote if you are not vaccinated, this is not true, vaccination status does not determine eligibility to vote.
Local elections are possibly the most important vote you can cast, because the decision of the public will influence who calls the shots for the Mackay region, so consider what’s important to you. It’s not all roads and rubbish either, our local council are the ones who invest in playgrounds, recreational reserves and work on attracting exciting events to come to Mackay, so how well we live is largely determined by our local council.
One point I like to keep in mind, is that there are two ways to cut the cost of rates, or minimise rate rises. That’s to cut services, or to increase the liveability of the region to increase the rate-paying database. The more people, the more income the council receives, to make Mackay both a fun place to live and an attractive destination for tourists to boost the local economy.
You will likely see campaigns running on both of these points, whether the candidate believes in cutting costs or whether they believe in investing in liveability.
It’s all a delicate balancing act and I don’t envy the decisions our council, whomever elected, will have to make to keep Mackay both a prosperous and affordable place to live.
In the next few weeks you will notice an increase in local election advertising and paid editorial. If you are a candidate who hasn’t yet received an advertising package from us and you would like the opportunity to have your say, please reach out to our advertising team via the details on the side of this page.
Amanda
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