May 3, 2023
Mental health and disability advocate Rhonda Trivett has announced plans to run for South Burnett Mayor at the 2024 Council elections.
Ms Trivett, who founded the South Burnett Peace Of Mind support group in 2011, said she was frustrated that nothing seemed to be changing in the South Burnett in regards to mental health and disability issues.
“Things have to change,” she said. “I am concerned about the future of the community that my son will have to live in.”
Ms Trivett said she had also received many complaints about the Kingaroy Transformation Project, including the narrow streets, problems people had backing out into traffic, and issues with the disability parking spaces.
And she was disappointed that plans to use a local building to support the South Burnett community had been changed to exclude South Burnett Peace Of Mind.
Ms Trivett unsuccessfully challenged sitting councillor Danita Potter in Division 3 at the 2020 Council poll, securing 755 votes (24.25 per cent).
She was named the South Burnett Regional Council’s Volunteer of the Year at the 2018 Australia Day Awards, and has run the annual White Dove Ball in Kingaroy since 2014.
The ball provides an opportunity for people in the local community to dress up, eat a formal meal, dance and be entertained.
Ms Trivett has also run a drop-in centre locally as well providing Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve entertainment for disadvantaged local residents.
Sitting Mayor Brett Otto has yet to announce formally his intention to re-stand for the role.
- Related article: Mayor Weighs Up Options
