Living on the Fraser Coast is great.

This is the best place in Australia, but our quality of life will only be maintained if the right choices are made.

We must not become just another congested mega city by the coast, crammed for traffic, no public spaces and inadequate health services.  Growth without strategic planning and effective advocacy results in the loss of our unique character.

The people who live here deserve the same services as every Australian. 

A healthy lifestyle, with sporting facilities, parks, and a beautiful esplanade by the bay.

Access to modern and well-staffed hospitals and health services, with adequate airlinks to ensure the best specialist services for our community.

Expanded education opportunities, vocational training that encourages our youth to stay and make our town better.

Wildlife corridors, so that our suburbs are a vision of green, not just tin and tile roofs.

Enhanced access to our waterways, to try and catch that elusive fish, to value and enjoy our marine environment.

Meaningful employment, with a local government that encourages investment and job creation. And keeps rates fair.

I believe that a good local Government can set the vision for the future.

This is our home. 

I’m running for council in division 7.  With your ideas and my enthusiasm, we can make this part of the world even better.

Andrew Broad - Broad4FCRC@gmail.com

Development at 408 Esplanade Hervey Bay.
I would like to express my concern for this proposed 21 storey resort style development in Hervey Bay. I believe that, if approved and constructed, this building would negatively impact the local community and the wider area of Hervey Bay. It will set a precedent for the future and if it goes ahead, it will be the first multi storey development exceeding 6 stories since 2006 but, it won't be the last.
Twenty-one stories is not in keeping with existing buildings and the ambience of the towns along this coastline. It has been stated that this submission indicates a complex that compliments the unique coastline........it does not and never will!!!!
If 10 plus storey complexes have been approved (but not constructed), the extraordinary leap to 21 stories is a leap too far !!
I sincerely hope that this will be considered extremely carefully and declined.
If it goes ahead, traffic would significantly be affected to the detriment of pedestrians.

The Esplanade was not made to cope with extreme traffic, which a development such as this would attract.

Parking should be taken into careful consideration too, along with infrastructure which would be vital to support such a radical change to the area.
Tourism and employment are obvious economic benefits and change is inevitable. But, a 21-storey structure is not what Hervey Bay needs.
The scale and design of the proposed development is not consistent or compatible with the area and its' surroundings.
I believe that it would have a negative effect on the community who now enjoy a more understated lifestyle and I sincerely hope that our Council can see the impact that it would have.
Yours sincerely
Elizabeth Wegmann - Torquay 4655

Christmas Carols

Dear Editor
Prior to the publication of the recent Hervey Bay Advertiser editorial, the organisers of the Hervey Bay Christmas Carols were in discussions with Fraser Coast Regional Council to increase the $5,000 sponsorship funding we already provide to support their event.
Council has advised the Hervey Bay Christmas Carols organisers that we will provide an additional $7,000 in funding for this year’s event on top of the $5,000 already committed.
That takes Council’s total sponsorship of the Hervey Bay Christmas Carols to $12,000 in 2023, and we will continue to discuss with the organisers how we can help to ensure this iconic event is sustainable going forward.
Council appreciates and understands the challenges event organisers face with increasing costs to coordinate and run events, and we have a range of grant programs open to community groups throughout the Fraser Coast.
The Hervey Bay Christmas Carols has been run by a community group relying primarily on private sponsorship for a number of years, with some funding from Council and Council providing the venue.
Council understands the community group has a range of sponsorship package options for local businesses and we encourage local businesses to also get behind this important community event.

Yours sincerely

Gerard Carlyon
Director Strategy, Community and Development
Fraser Coast Regional Council

Determined to serve as a councillor

I have lived in the Fraser Coast for just over five years and have witnessed the incredible potential and untapped opportunities that exist within or region. My love for this community has only grown stronger with time, and I am convinced that it is our collective responsibility to shape a brighter future for ourselves and the generations to come.

Moreover, my determination to serve as a councillor is rooted in the belief that local government is where tangible change begins. I am eager to collaborate with fellow councillors, community leaders, and residents to improve our infrastructure, promote sustainable development, enhance our public services, and protect our natural environment. Together, we can build a Fraser Coast that is not just a place to live, but a place to thrive.

I am passionate about issues such as water security for the future, sustainable developments, improving our Esplanade with projects such as the parklet in front of Bar Soma, and finding ways to ease congestion as well as addressing drainage issues on streets behind the Esplanade that sit below sea level. I am committed to improving educational and vocational outcomes for our students and working hard to make the Fraser Coast somewhere where our young people can complete further education and begin their careers. I believe the community should have input on the future of the current council chambers on Tavistock Street. I am eager to hear the thoughts and perspectives of all residents in Division 9 and am actively available to listen.

Sara Faraj