WynnumCentral, in conjunction with local business group Brisbane Business Bayside, held a one hour ‘Meet The Candidates’ open meeting on Saturday 2nd March from 11am-12pm at the Waterloo Bay Leisure Centre on Tingal Road in Wynnum.
This open meeting was an opportunity to hear from all of the candidates for the Wynnum/Manly Ward in the upcoming council elections.
The format of the meeting was…
1) A brief introduction to the candidates and the parties they represent
2) Each candidate was then given the opportunity to talk for 5 minutes about what they would do if elected
3) There was also an opportunity for questions from attendees (see below)
The meeting ran in a similar fashion to the Q&A program on ABC TV in that all questions were submitted in advance (and were also be submitted to candidates in advance).
What was interesting is that, when asked (by a show of hands) who was sticking with the candidate they were supporting prior to the forum and who was reconsidering as a result of what they had heard, around a third to a quarter of those present indicated they were reconsidering. Very interesting indeed!
The candidates as pictured in the main image above (in alphabetical order by surname) are Bel Ellis (Greens), Alex Givney (LNP), Craig Moore (Independent) and current councillor Sara Whitmee (Labor).
Questions
Here are all the questions that were asked by attendees (please note those highlighted in grey were not asked due to time limitations, although all candidates received all questions ahead of the meeting).
| Question |
| The state government is seeking to decriminalise prostitution services. A recently introduced Bill seeks to treat brothels just like any other business. They will be able to operate wherever they want, and they can advertise however they want. But the Bill goes further and specifically prevents Brisbane City Council from introducing zoning changes and other restrictions. And with the dismantling of the current licencing scheme, that means that brothels will be able to operate and advertise in residential areas, including next to your home and next to a school. How do you feel about these changes? Should the council have the zoning powers to keep brothels out of residential areas? If you oppose the changes, what steps do you intend to take? |
| What are the candidates view on free public transport or at the least a free loop bus service for the area |
| If elected what’s your plan for the area to prosper |
| When elected what will you bring of benefit to the area? |
| Why do we need to have the turnaround on the Lindum rail crossing and have there been any type of monitoring of the area to see the traffic load times? |
| Development plans for Wynnum area – what should we do to avoid turning the area into a high rise slum like the Gold Coast, with attendant crowding and parking issues? Already some businesses have closed down due to rent increases, and we don’t want any more to go. |
| What are your plans regarding the Brisbane Airport noise problems? The original intention for the second runway was that all landings and departures would be over the Bay. This intention has no been kept. |
| I have 2 young adults still living at home, most of the building in Wynnum Manly seems to be high end units out of my kids price range. Will you focus on providing affordable house to rent and buy so my kids can move out one day? |
| The greens have as one of theit election slogans free and frequent public transport.How do they propose to fund this? |
| How do you propose to show up in the leadership role, and manage the public interest in deciding how to spend the budget when vigorous opposition to choices is in the mix of debate and decision making? |
| How will you demonstrate being open and transparent and accountable to us on all public meetings in the fairness of access to ALL not just supporting party voters of your LGA where venue capacity locks out opposing voices? |
| Yes, I’d like to ask what we are doing to reduce red tape in council to make building approvals faster for granny flats. |
| My question is for the Greens and Labor candidates. Given the public stance from both parties on Australia Day and it’s tradition, if elected, will you continue to honour its significance on our calendar without making any adjustments to its merit and the pioneers of this country in which we continue to be grateful for. |
| What are your parties specific plans for this Wynnum Manly Ward |
| What plans for the old fish market bldg in Greene Park |
| Do you support the $200 million investment into Victoria park? |
| The incidence of new high rise unit blocks is increasing. Do you support the inclusion of affordable housing in new developments |
| How about a council operated ferry that connected the bayside to the city ? |
| How would you continue to support growth of our entertainment industry while supporting the development of high rise Residential buildings. |
| Would there be an option to have a local bus that runs between the manly village and Wynnum central ? |
| Most candidates and the State MP are based in Wynnum. How many times have you visited business owners and residents in the Manly and Lota areas in the last six months? What do you know about the MHV Chamber’s role and how council could assist in our efforts to provide value to the area? |
| Our area needs investment in large infrastructure projects, not just little apartment/retail developments. What talks have you already had, and what relationships do you currently have with big players in this section of industry? |
| A recent hot topic of policy has been youth crime. While a majority of policy promises have been on the law enforcement end of this issue, do the candidates (or their representative parties) have policy proposals addressing root causes such as social disengagement? |
| intersection between Coles and subway is dangerous and requires a roundabout or traffic lights. |
| what is your definition of a woman? |
| Why the mosquitoes situation on the Bayside not getting any better if we are supposedly spraying every year? |
