April 26, 2023
South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto has not yet decided if he will restand for the region’s top job.
The admission was made at Wednesday’s General Council meeting during a debate on which councillors should attend the Local Government Association of Queensland Conference at Gladstone in October and the LGAQ Bush Councils Conference at Goondiwindi in July.
South Burnett Regional Council is planning to send a large delegation to both conferences, both to lobby for local issues as well as provide a professional development opportunity for councillors.
The cost of attendance – and whether councillors were likely to withdraw at the last minute – was also debated.
Mayor Otto raised the point the next Local Government election was going to be held in March and that Council would be in “caretaker mode” from January 1.
He suggested that if Council knew an employee was going to leave the organisation in a few months, it would not be investing in professional development training.
It was during this discussion that Mayor Otto said he was still deciding if he would restand, although he was having discussions with his wife.
He said he had a certain course in mind but he would not be disclosing it at an open Council meeting.
In a majority vote, the meeting approved that councillors Danita Potter, Jane Erkens, Scott Henschen, Gavin Jones and Brett Otto attend the LGAQ Bush Councils Convention and that Mayor Otto and Cr Jones attend the LGAQ Annual Conference as delegates (with Cr Erkens as reserve) along with Cr Kirstie Schumacher, Cr Henschen and Cr Potter as observers.
We don’t understand this because Mayor Otto told us in Murgon at the the business brekky he would not be running in the next election, and our friends in Wondai said he told them the same. This story says he has not decided. What is the truth here?
You can view an SBRC YouTube video of the meeting here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK29bzCy8K4
…and hear the Mayor’s statement about his possible future directions at around 42:00 minutes.
South Burnett ratepayers are asked to be astute as the next local Council elections loom.
This Council is renowned for its toxic environment. The in-house fighting between the Councillors from the number of local towns/areas they represent produces few satisfactory positive outcomes for ratepayers.
This community is already being bled for their dollars, paying almost double the rates that are paid in other areas that have more resources (for example: the Gold Coast).
We pay for Water we cannot drink that burns our garden plants while we pay for water tanks. And we’ve just received a recycling bin but the potholes remain.
There are many streets with little or no night lights, and crime is on the increase.
We want our money spent on our roads, improving our town for future generations not spent on cement garden beds and hidden murals.
Have you had a knock on your door from the persons spruiking for the job of Mayor in South Burnett?
We need strength in leadership – a person with “a fire in the belly” for the South Burnett region and its people.
And no increased taxes!
J. If you’re referring to the mural in Kingaroy Street, it was not funded by the council so ratepayers did not pay for this. The recycling bins were to cut down on the rubbish being sent to the landfill. There is going to a very big cost in the future for council and ratepayers when this is full. Check out the government charges! Council is not responsible for the street lights, blame Ergon (the Qld government) about this. Crime? How is that a council responsibility? They don’t run the police force or the courts. If you reckon you can do better than this mob, put up your hand and stand at the next election. Then you may be able to figure out what council can do and can’t do.