September 30, 2015
Kingaroy resident Danita Potter is the latest candidate to toss a hat into the ring for the 2016 South Burnett Council elections.
Mrs Potter plans to stand for Division 3 (the southern Kingaroy Division) which is currently held by Cr Damien Tessmann.
Although Cr Tessmann has yet to confirm it, it is strongly rumoured that he intends to run for Mayor which would mean he would vacate his Division at the poll.
Mrs Potter said she was “third generation Kingaroy born and bred”.
And although she has never stood for Council before, she has experience of the lifestyle … her mother is former Kingaroy Shire councillor Marie Shaw.
Mrs Potter works as a phlebotomist (blood collector) at QML in Kingaroy and is a member of the Kingaroy Lions Club.
She said she definitely supported keeping the Private Hospital open in Kingaroy, and supported Council running it if necessary.
“Council has run it before, years ago when my mother used to be a councillor,” she said.
Mrs Potter said she realised that being a councillor on the amalgamated South Burnett Regional Council would be “much more hectic” than in her mother’s time but she was ready for that.
“My husband Shane is 100 per cent behind me; I couldn’t ask for more support from him,” she said.
Shane works at Kingaroy Hospital but is a former soldier who completed three overseas tours.
The couple have three grown children, aged 19, 20 and 25.
And although she loves her job at QML, and working with all the patients that come in, she understands that she may have to forsake this if elected.
The high suicide rate and the lack of palliative care in Kingaroy concern her and although she knows these are not Council responsibilities she hopes to be able to a shine a spotlight on these issues if elected.
Mrs Potter said the issue that had been raised the most with her by ratepayers was road maintenance, especially the dirt roads around the region.
Congratulations Danita for giving it a shot. Best wishes for a successful campaign.
Good on you Danita, it’s good to see some fresh faces planning on running for council. I have lived here my entire life and would love to see more people such as yourself put their hands up to run. It would be great to see some fresh faces on the council.
Good luck Danita, wishing you all the best I hope your are successful in your new journey for the benefit of all the residents of the South Burnett.
Hey Danita, remember me? :) Still making those delicious pumpkin scones? You should now you are back down in Joh’s country :) Say hi to Shane for me. Best of luck with your run at Council. You have a solid head on your shoulders and will benefit the council greatly.