January 18, 2016
Coolabunia grazier Stan Corbett is the latest candidate to toss his hat into the ring for Division 3 at the South Burnett Regional Council elections in March.
Division 3 (the southern half of Kingaroy and Coolabunia) is currently held by Cr Damien Tessmann who intends to run for Mayor.
Three other candidates have already put up their hands for the Division: Deb Dennien, Danita Potter and Abigail Andersson.
Mr Corbett said he had been interested in running for Council for some time but until now had been too busy with his business interests.
He has been a director of a commercial construction company, Westcor, for 28 years and also managed horse studs.
Mr Corbett and his wife Debra have been living full-time in the South Burnett for 10 years, although Debra’s family have been in the area since the early 1900s.
The couple had been visiting the area for many years before moving here.
They currently run cattle on their property at Coolabunia as well as at ‘Bindanoon’ at Blackbutt.
The Corbett name is probably linked in most people’s minds to camels, as Debra is the force behind the “Camel Milk Australia” brand which gained Australia-wide publicity a few years ago.
She is no longer selling fresh camel milk, but is still selling camel milk cosmetics, soaps and creams interstate and overseas. She also has other plans for the business “in the pipeline”.
Mr Corbett said his major concerns with Local Government were “waste and inconsistencies”.
He gave as an example Council workers who live at Nanango who are sent to Murgon to work, and labourers being sent from Wondai to Blackbutt.
Dual-cab and Space-cab vehicles travelling around the South Burnett with just one person on board also concerned him, yet other departments which needed vehicles have only one vehicle to cover three people, he said.
Mr Corbett also questioned why cheaper makes and styles of vehicles were not being purchased by Council.
“It is inefficiencies at Council, State and Federal levels that costs ratepayers and taxpayers money,” he said.
He also believed there were inefficiencies and waste in the use of sub-contractors for some Council jobs.
“If there is a Budget for a project, Council must work within that Budget,” he said.
Mr Corbett said the proposed Coolabunia coal mine, by Moreton Resources, also worried him.
“If Tarong doesn’t take the coal, how are they going to get it out of town?” he asked.
“If trucks are going to take it out there’s could be a big problem with dust.”
On the Memerambi Estate: “Why did they let them build houses before the roads and infrastructure were in place. Someone slipped up somewhere …”
Mr Corbett said he was also concerned about the stalled motel development in Kingaroy on Walter Road.
“It looks like an eyesore. Who’s going to buy that?” he said.
He suggested Council should put a bond on major developments, much like the bond it asks for residents who are going to relocate a house to Kingaroy.
That way, if something goes wrong, Council would have the funds to rehabilitate the site, he said.
He does not believe Council should get involved in the running of the South Burnett Private Hospital.
“If private business cannot run it at a profit, how can Council?” he said.
Mr Corbett said he realised many things were outside the control of Councillors and there was a lot of external pressures and red tape that affected Council decisions.
“If I can change things, great,” he said.
“If the Council can be as efficient as possible, and keep rates as reasonable as possible, people will be happy.”
