April 3, 2016
Former Deputy Mayor Cr Keith Campbell was declared as the South Burnett’s new Mayor at 12:51pm on Sunday, April 3.
Cr Campbell was declared the winner after the distribution of preferences, 16 days after the polls closed.
Cr Campbell had secured 30.14 per cent of primary votes and had a lead of 1293 votes over his nearest rival Cr Damien Tessmann (23.12 per cent).
Newcomers Sheena Lindholm and Mike Brown secured 22.83 and 20.86 per cent of the primary votes, respectively.
Nanango and Districts SBRAG candidate Grant Newson won 3.06 per cent of the primary vote.
Informal votes accounted for the remaining 3.36 per cent.
On Thursday, Cr Ros Heit and Cr Terry Fleischfresser were declared elected in Divisions 6 and 4, respectively.
And on Friday, Cr Roz Frohloff was confirmed as the new representative for Division 1.
Results for the South Burnett’s remaining two Divisions (Divisions 2 and 3) were declared later on Sunday afternoon after the Mayoral result.
Gavin Jones was elected as Division 2 Councillor, and Danita Potter as Division 3 Councillor.
Cr Kathy Duff was returned unopposed to Division 5.
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Cr Campbell released an acceptance speech on Sunday in which he thanked everyone for the honour of being elected Mayor, and promised to work hard to build a better South Burnett in the years ahead.
Cr Campbell paid tribute to former South Burnett mayors David Carter and Wayne Kratzmann, and to all other candidates who stood in the March 19 election.
While acknowledging not everyone had voted for him, he promised to be a Mayor for all residents and to maintain an open door policy for anyone who felt their concerns weren’t being addressed.
He also promised to continue to pursue projects begun by the previous Council – such as the South Burnett Community Hospital and the normalisation of the Memerambi Estate – but promised he would bring greater clarity to where Road Levy funds were being spent.
The full text of Cr Campbell’s speech appears below:
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Keith Campbell’s Acceptance Speech
I would like to thank everyone for the great honour of becoming the Mayor of the South Burnett.
This region has always been my home and I feel privileged that I can now serve you longer and at a new level. I acknowledge the responsibility in building on the foundations of previous generations of Council.
I recognize that I have inherited a Council that is in good shape and a region that has potential for growth.
It is my plan to lead with clarity and harness the many talents of the new council team, staff and, most importantly, the talents of those in the South Burnett who share the vision of growing a stronger region.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as Deputy Mayor for the past 8 years.
I especially want to thank former mayors, David Carter and Wayne Kratzmann for their trust in me, and for encouraging me to take up the opportunity to develop a comprehensive knowledge of Local Government.
This election campaign was always going to be tough.
I accept that not everyone voted for me, and I respect that there are issues that present challenges for our region.
I am committed to ensuring that any outstanding decisions taken by the previous Council (eg. the private hospital, Memerambi etc) are finalized in ways that deliver jobs and improved economic security, and keep essential services in our diverse region.
Once the election is declared I will ensure the balance of this budget period is completed. and get to work with the executive team to develop the next budget, mindful that we are entrusted to deliver important services to you in a way that keeps rates affordable.
I have made a commitment to work as soon as possible with the executive team to develop a strategic plan to achieve an overall reduction in road complaints during this term in Council. and to keep you more informed about how road money is spent and priorities determined.
I approach this next term with confidence and anticipation that the divisional councillors you have elected will long be remembered as one of the best councils in the history of the South Burnett.
For new Councillors, there will be a comprehensive induction process to help them understand and execute their roles and responsibilities.
Please extend courtesy and grace to them as they settle in.
Thank you, too, for your patience while the votes are counted.
I also want to acknowledge everyone who stood as a candidate for Mayor or as a divisional Councillor.
The election is over and now we all need to focus our efforts on the greater good of the South Burnett.
In closing, I want to remind all residents of the South Burnett that if there is something about the decisions or actions that this Council makes that you don’t understand or can’t support, ask for an appointment with your divisional councilor or myself if you feel your concerns are not being heard effectively.
It was a great regret and disappointment to me that during the lead up to the election, a small number of our community chose hurtful ways to air their personal grievances.
I am a believer that our differences should be resolved in private, and that we do everything possible to present the South Burnett to the wider world as a great place to live, work, invest and retire to.
Thank you again for the trust you have placed in me to be the Mayor of the South Burnett Regional Council.
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Congratulations to Mayor Keith Campbell. A great outcome for the region.