January 19, 2024
The Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry has invited all candidates in the upcoming South Burnett Regional Council election to take part in a community forum in Kingaroy next month.
The “2024 South Burnett Local Election Candidates Forum – SB Votes 24” will be held at St John’s Lutheran School Hall, in Ivy Street, from 6:00pm on Monday, February 19.
The KCCI hopes the forum will foster community engagement in the March 16 election and ensure both Divisional and Mayoral candidates know what issues are most important to the community.
It will be moderated by former Channel 7 broadcast journalist Kim Skubris.
She will pose questions based on information submitted by residents before the night.
All South Burnett residents have been invited to submit their queries to sbvotes24@kcci.asn.au before the close of business on February 14.
“To ensure a diverse and comprehensive range of questions, the KCCI Executive will compile submissions received,” KCCI president Damien Martoo said.
“This valuable input from the community will be passed on to Kim Skubris, who will then create themed questions for the candidates. Candidates will be notified of the themes via email prior to the forum, allowing them to prepare thoughtful responses.
“The 2024 South Burnett Local Election Candidates Forum is a unique opportunity for residents to connect with candidates and gain valuable insights into their values and visions for the region.
“We believe that an informed electorate is crucial for the growth and development of our community, and this forum serves as a platform to achieve just that.”
The final page of questions will be vetted by the KCCI Executive Committee.
Candidates’ answers will be “time limited” to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to respond.
Interruptions, heckling, insults and abuse will not be tolerated and candidates and/or attendees could be asked to leave the event.
Speakers will also not be allowed to comment on other candidates during their responses.
Questions from the floor will be at the moderator’s discretion, if time allows, but will be for mayoral candidates only.
The forum is free and all South Burnett residents have been invited to attend but should RSVP online
Candidates have been invited to share their contact details via email with the KCCI.
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Election Timetable
2024 local government elections timetable (to be confirmed when the Notice of Election is formally issued)
- Notice of Election – January 29
- Candidate nominations open – January 29
- Close of electoral roll – February 5
- Candidate nominations close – Noon, February 13
- Ballot paper draw – 10:00am, February 14
- Postal vote applications close – 7:00pm, March 4
- Early voting – Details of dates, times and locations will be available on the ECQ website
- Election day – Saturday, March 16, 8:00am to 6:00pm
- Close of return of postal votes – March 26
