PUNCH Magazine weekly

Issue 66

Meet your division 3 candidates for the Sunshine Coast Council

Meet your division 3 candidates for the Sunshine Coast Council

Mike Jessop I forgot to mention what could happen unless we come down hard on the living statues in the district!? https://youtu.be/HtkIgG8XTC4

There follows a transcript of ABC radio interview

Peter Cox has that tonal upturn when he should be making a statement but instead is answering a question with another question

Do we really want this guy in for the next 15 years!? The Volume was a little low and the speakers were a little muffled and inaudible and so I have had the interview transcribed

On the subject of homelessness what is quite audible from Peter Cox is "homelessness isn't really a typical council issue" - "not in our remit" "So it's very difficult to, um, over promise and then under deliver"

With the full gamut of State government and federal government finger pointing I give you the full unredacted transcription - enjoy

Rob Blackmore ABC
You're listening to ABC sunshine coast and I'm rod Blackmore. Good morning on Facebook this morning for the division three candidates forum here on ABC sunshine coast for the council area of the sunshine coast. And it's great to welcome into the studios this morning. Mike Jessop, Division three Peter Cox, the incumbent. Good morning to you. And you understand the Stan Neuroski. Good morning. The three gentlemen are here. We do have two people that can make an in this division, Pamela Mareco and Michael Ronald McDonald. So we'll come back to perhaps some of those other candidates in and a few of those issues, uh, in a moment gentlemen. But can we start by just going around the table and asking everybody, perhaps with you, Peter, to start with, uh, who you are, what you're interested in, in terms of running for this election, what you stand for a couple of minutes only just to give us a bit of an introduction Peter?

Peter Cox
Certainly. Thanks Rob for the opportunity. Um, look, I have been privileged to represent the division three for the last eight years for the last two terms at the sunshine coast council. A bit about my background, university educated. Prior to council, I uh, ran a small business in Kawana and um, my family consists of my wife, a local school teacher. I've got two teenage boys once you started university this year and the other one year 11. Uh, we also have a pet dog, which um, yeah, interesting. Um, Oh, I'm a totally self-funded candidate. I'm completely independent, not swayed by any political parties. My aim is to retain our wonderful natural assets that we have here on the sunshine coast and that relaxed coastal lifestyle that we all enjoy. I'm also keen to see the sunshine case become a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. So in a nutshell, that's what I stand for.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Thank you. Paid-up. Stan, what would you like to say? What would I like to say? Well, mine's not going to be anywhere near as long as Peter's remedy is good or I'm, I'm, the reason I'm here is that I really feel we've lived on the Sean John coast now for over 20 years and I'd like to put something back in. So that's the main reason for having a go with this. What have you done in the last 20 years? Last 20 years I've been self employed. I was financial planner for the last 20 years. Yeah. 20 odd years or was imp and at the moment I'm still a finance broker but I've been forever self employed, uh, married four grown up kids. Sure. All three of them are on the coast and my son Brendan is arisen and of Tamworth so you can find him on the music journal. Okay. What do you think you'd be a good counselor? Uh, reading the all, all the material and the training. Everything I got out of that was that where as a counselor you are simply the conduit between the community and the council. So I'm

Stan
all about community. I was president of my rotary club for a couple of years. Um, and I would like to just, it's all about community, just getting consultation with the community and bringing it back and getting a seat at the big title.
Rob Blackmore ABC
We'll come back to some of those issues shortly. Let's go to Mike Jessop finally. Mike, this is your, how many elections have you tried for today? Yes this is my eighth now it'll actually be since 2009. Anyone in business will know what needs to be done and there's no one doing it at any level of government. I haven't actually considered Local Council Elections before but there is quite a lot you can do at this level of government I've run in the State and the Federal government before it's just something I can't resist once I got the bit between my teeth.

Rob Blackmore
So what's your background prior to running in these different elections?

Mike Jessop
I've had my own electronics manufacturing company and boat building company. and I can tell you that the mayor has said he's generated 59 jobs in the last 10 years in manufacturing jobs and 1,630 public administration jobs. That gives you some idea of the complete disconnect there is between government, even local government and business.

Rob Blackmore
Just on you though, just initially on yourself, why do you want to be a Councillor? What do you want to do? You know, what's brought you to this place in time?

Mike Jessop
Definitely to regenerate it. People are doing it so tough out there and they're being completely ignored, and there's no other word for it, about what needs to be done (about) which is government charges.

You know, you've got to reduce the government charges as every year you get 12 government charges between $200 and $900 bucks a month. You know, this is a tax on employment. This is stifling everything that goes on here.

Rob Blackmore
Can I just ask you not to be banging the table that's coming through on the microphone. They can also ask Mike Jessop why is Independent written under your name tag?

Mike Jessop
Oh, that's definitely to emphasize exactly what I am

Rob Blackmore ABC
A big part of today is answering questions that people have provided through Facebook for these forums, gentlemen. So we might go straight to those. Uh, and it's about the town plan. Can you all talk about your intentions around voting within the town plan and you might like to reference some of the more controversial developments that are currently in the courts. Peter Cox you might like to start.

Peter Cox
Yeah. Um, thanks Rob. Great question. Um, it's been sort of following a lot about that, um, town plan issues. You know, when I talk with people, uh, at my sort of mobile office fence or when I go to community meetings and converse with some of the residents, um, they do have concerns and I share with them. One thing that a lot of people aren't aware of is the fact that our urban footprint only covers 15% of the entire sunshine coast area.

And so I don't want to see urban sprawl encroach beyond that 15%. So what that does mean is that there will be obviously pressures applied with um, population growth where we will need to look at densities, um, in certain areas.

Rob Blackmore
Which the town plan doesn't account for at the moment.

Peter Cox
Well at the moment the town plan has those densities assigned to specific areas. And there's only been a couple of examples that I can think of in the last eight years where the town plan has been overridden. And that's generally because of a overriding community benefit. That is been the, the one of the main reasons for the town plan to be challenged.

Rob Blackmore ABC
So it's okay to challenge the town plan if there is an overriding community benefit.

Peter Cox
Look, I, I think, um, according to the research that I've done and the, the court cases that have existed to date where I've been sort of reviewing, um, look, you do need to take them on a merits based approach and not everything. I don't want to see, you know, a whole change of, um, a rough to changes to that town plan. That will be for a new council obviously to just to decide you voted in favor of second city. We didn't. I did, yes. Yup. Uh,

Rob Blackmore ABC
Stan, can I have your view on that?

Speaker 2
Can you hear me all right? Yep. We've lived here for 20 odd years and we've owned property in division two, which is currently we're all living because of the 20 years I've lived probably 18 years of battery Hill and battery Hill got taken and stuck in division two. But all of the, in that 20 years we would have had probably three changes to the town plan, uh, with the Heights and the density levels and everything. But we've had changes in Tam plan, but we've had nothing proceed. We've had nothing happened. Uh, the biggest thing that I can see having is that we've ended up with low cost housing in the center of Calandra. Uh, so we've created a world where young people who work hard and try and make a go of things, we're chasing them out to the sticks and we're bringing in people that don't really want to work into the center of Caloundra. Um, yeah, that's probably not going to be all that popular with those people.

Rob Blackmore ABC
But is it Caloundra masterplan though?

Speaker 2
It's the clear device that's already underway.

Rob Blackmore ABC
You're saying that that's not the right way to go for

Speaker 2
well,

Rob Blackmore ABC
I think we're come in on that one.

Speaker 2
I think we're just punishing the wrong people.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Explain that

Speaker 2
young young people who are working and want to get their first property, make a go over things for themselves. It's too dear in Caloudra for them to come in. Yet we bring in young people through the low cost housing situation where it's maybe not the same.

Rob Blackmore ABC
How does council impact the housing affordability though?

Speaker 2
Um, well they would have all had to approve the low cost housing situation.

Rob Blackmore ABC
So the types of zoning, the types of dwellings in our land. Okay. Just before we go to, you Mike Jessop on that. Can I get you gentlemen to tell me a little about the other two candidates? �Cause at one point Peter Cox will you, the, you were going to be the only runner in this, in this seat. So you gentlemen both came in the light in the nomination period and then these other two people, can we just get a sense of who they are? Have you met them, do you know them? Ronald McDonald - Michael Ronald McDonald and Pamela Merico. Does anyone know anything of them

Mike Jessop
great, no I've never, never heard of them

Rob Blackmore ABC
and the date or the moment in which You two thought you'd run because as I said, there was a chance there that Peter was going to go uncontested Michael

Mike Jessop
I heard that he was going to step down anyway after eight years. And um, you know, that's,

Rob Blackmore ABC
That's why you chose that division. Do you live in the division?

Mike Jessop
Yes I do certainly live in the Division 3

Speaker 2
No I don't I live in division two for like I said, over the 20 years we've been here. 18 of you wasn't that in battery Hill and then they moved it, but um,

Rob Blackmore ABC
Did you see that as an opportunity given he was, it didn't have too many contenders to run in?

Speaker 2
No, no. Uh, it's, it's nothing to do with Peter or the way he's conducted himself over the time. It's simply me thinking that I want to put something back into the community. Sure.

Rob Blackmore ABC
And to you Mike Jessop on that question from previously the town plan, staying within it, challenging it, your view on that.

Mike Jessop
Yes well definitely (being) a Christian orientated, that casino has got to go. I don't know where that is.

Rob Blackmore ABC
What casino?

Mike Jessop
There's plans for a casino in Maroochydore going on, that's the worst thing that could possibly happen I'm afraid

Rob Blackmore ABC
The counselor would suggest that's not the case but anyway

Mike Jessop
You only hear what you hear

Rob Blackmore ABC
There was some discussions.

Mike Jessop
That's right. Yes definitely that's a complete, no, no. You can be sure that won't be happening on the sunshine coast, personally, as a business man, I know that there's a complete lack of availability of commercial premises - somewhere to operate. I don't know. The assumption seems to be made that everyone that moves to the Sunshine Coast is a retiree - they're not. And even if they were they still need to store and operate from somewhere. There's a complete shortage here. I will change all that.

Rob Blackmore ABC
I think the question though goes to development in particular people have issue with developments that are being put through that are outside the town plan that require a legal fight that ended up in the land, land and environment court, the planning environment court that then suddenly, you know, why can't we just do things that are within the plan that has been, um, you know, mandated for that, for that council area. What's your view on challenging that and changing that as developments come through? Mike Jessop
Yes well, I'd say there's a huge number of people coming to the coast and you know, you've got dwellings and no problem. There really are, there's plenty of that taking place.

It's the business and commercial side that's completely lacking. It really is. Especially for the homeless. There's nothing in that plan at all encouraging the development of properties that homeless people would otherwise occupy such as backpackers.

There's one backpackers in Caloundra, you know, you need one in each division. You really do. The homeless problem on the Coast is something like 1,600 ( people) you know, sleeping in their cars or sleeping rough and they're completely - there's nothing in the plan about that. There really isn't. They just, they're just unsightly to them. They won't even know, you know, soup kitchens, that sort of thing. It's a, it's a favour. There's a huge problem. You go down the beach any night at all, in the evening you can see them setting up

Rob Blackmore ABC
Peter Cox has Council done enough for homeless people on the coast in this last term look.

Peter Cox
Um, I, I was, um, quite impressed with the mayor's leadership in the having the, um, homeless round table. Um, cause homelessness isn't really a typical council issue. It's more dealt with at the state level through department of housing, social housing and the light. Um, however the mayor took, uh, some leadership on that and obviously brought a lot of the, um, the industry peak industries together, um, to hear the concerns and um, you know, we will, where we can implement certain opportunities to, you know, promote, um, the services available for these, um, people that are obviously doing it tough. Um, we have spoken at length about some of the zoning changes that wouldn't maybe encourage some low cost, you know, affordable housing opportunities. So look, whilst it's not in our remit, we're certainly doing as much as we can to be strong advocates in that area.

Rob Blackmore ABC
All right, let's go to a related question on the development question. You're listening to the Division three and watching the Division three forum on Facebook this morning for ABC sunshine coast, Peter Cox, uh, Stan and the Nowroski and Mike Jessop are sitting with us talking about issues impacting that community and hoping for your vote. Just just following on from the question around town planning and so on. These forums predominantly have been about transparency and how perhaps the sentiment in the community is that it doesn't exist. That there was transparency in the last council. Uh, again, Peter, let's start with you. Do you think he got it right as a council this time around closed door sessions, committee meetings and so on? Uh, if you had your time over, would you have had a few of those more open to the public and less closed?

Peter Cox
Uh, interesting question that you've put forward there. Um, Rob, look, we go into confidential session to adhere to certain principles of the local government act. We don't want to disadvantage people when we're discussing sensitive issues like potential housing resumptions for road corridors, um, tenders and contracts. These are things that if they were done in public, it's not benefit, uh, beneficial for anyone. So we certainly try and adhere to the, well we do, we adhere to the principles set out by the local government act.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Why do you think the sentiment is there then? Why don't you, why don't you think people understand that and accuse you of non-being nontransparent

Peter Cox
I'll look over that.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Whatever that term means.

Peter Cox
Personally, I think that there's been a bit of a media sway. They've liked to brand. This council is pro-development, um, you know, non-transparent. I personally having been at the, you know, at the table for the last four years, don't believe that to be the case.

We have acted, you know, uh, independently. We've done great things for our community and I don't buy into any of that media stuff.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Do you think Mark Jamison will be returned?

Peter Cox
Personally, I think if you look at his report card, there is no better candidate in the Merrill, uh, candidates that are available. His report card to me is an a, plus.

Rob Blackmore ABC
You worked with Chris Thompson, didn't you cope with that first term? Was he in the counselor with you?

Peter Cox
He was the deputy, yes. Yup.

Rob Blackmore ABC
How did you get on with Chris?

Peter Cox
Chris sat in the next division to me and yeah, look, Chris did great job. Um, I just think though, out of the four contenders that are there, you know, you look at the report card and that's what I'd encourage all of the, the voters for the sunshine coast to look at the vision. I mean we've got population growth coming our way, whether we like it or not.

And you need to save someone that's got a vision and a plan for the future because if, if we don't elect the right person, our lifestyle will be certainly compromise over the next 15 years or so.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Stan is a rate payer in the last council term, how did you view that issue of openness and a and an accountability and transparency and, and how do you see it? If you were to be the, the, the new counselor for the division, you know, with a move to city hall with the live streaming, apparently the com, you know, so if you make a few comments, there

Stan
I think transparency is a good thing. Uh, but also B to just said, if there's very sensitive issues being discussed, uh, they'll never get off the ground. If we do that in public, it'll just, it'll, the media will get it and it'll just run. So I think transparency is a good thing, but too much of it is maybe not so good.

Rob Blackmore ABC
How have you, uh, thought of Mark Jamison's performance over his term hazmat?

Stan
Yeah, I like the, what Mark Jemison has done. Um, maybe at one end of it with the talk of casinos and that sort of stuff. Maybe not. Um, because I'd really like to see the sunshine coast stay as the sunshine coast, not turn itself into something totally different. Yeah,

Rob Blackmore ABC
totally different.

Stan
Like the gold coast

Rob Blackmore ABC
probably could have answered that question.

Stan
You could have answered that for me. Uh, and you know, if you want to gamble, you can gamble anywhere you like. We really need another building to [inaudible]

Rob Blackmore ABC
Mike Jessop?

Mike Jessop
Thank you. Yes. Well I think it's from the lips of the past incumbent Councillor at the moment. NOT IN OUR REMIT. This is, I don't remember any sort of public consultation on any of the major planning stuff at all. And you know, I'm not aware of any, I've lived here 20 years and that just doesn't happen.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Respond to that or do another hinder respond with that. Or

Peter Cox
there was actually two years of community consultation for the formulation of the 2014 sunshine case planning scheme. Two years,

Mike Jessop
two years!?

Rob Blackmore ABC
So st Peter, you would be happy to change that though, even though their consultation occurred if the situation arrives. If so, what good is a consultation?

Peter Cox
So that consultation started in about 2011 and when I was first elected in 2012 we took over from the, um, the first amalgamated council term under Bob Babin. And so we had to finish off that community consultation. So town plan typically lasts for around about eight to 10 years. So the next term of council, we'll be going through exactly the same thing, going out to the community, asking them what they want.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Let's talk about that. So we might come back to you on that Mike, with the new town plan that'll be created. Um, do you anticipate it to change direct dramatic dramatically.

Peter Cox
No,

Rob Blackmore ABC
I mean we use, the second city example is a case study. Like if that was to, if it all gets approved and that kind of development is then seen as appropriate in that kind of an area, could we see bigger parts of the coast open to that kind of more intense development?

Peter Cox
Do you know where you've got to remember the second Sui, um, area was a former golf course connected to the, you know, the former Hyatt resort? Yeah. It had that zoning in place, that tourism,

Rob Blackmore ABC
but as a golf course, golf course has a different zoning than a five star hotel, doesn't it?

Peter Cox
I thought, and correct me if I'm wrong, if someone can double check

Rob Blackmore ABC
with the building Heights.

Peter Cox
Certainly the building height was the issue. Yes. It went from four stories to seven stories. So that, that's what I understand. The community had an issue in car movements

Rob Blackmore ABC
and people living there and now there's a whole lot of houses there where the units are,

Peter Cox
but it always had that zoning. And then obviously if an application is made, then there needs to be assessments made in terms of traffic movements, in terms of ecology, environment impacts, all of that type of stuff. So that's how an application is assessed and against the state legislation.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Okay. All right. Mike, we jumped back. We jumped away from you mid, mid answer. Let's return to you.

Mike Jessop
Yes. Well indeed. So going from Caloundra City Council to Sunshine Coast Regional Council, it's just been so apparent that the input has been removed really entirely. I mean, Peter Cox has been been there for the last eight years. I'm sorry. We're no nearer at all. Anything like the, you know, the light railway, nothing's happened or materialized at all.

What, what has been done in the last eight years as far as planning is concerned? I prefer to see Caloundra break off again from even Maroochydore. She, it already was session. Okay. Yeah, absolutely. That'll be right on my agenda

Rob Blackmore ABC
Just like Noosa We'll have Caloundra in the South and Noosa in the North.

Mike Jessop
Caloundra City Council was a, you know, operating fine. It was a huge area. It went right into, you know, Maleny and beyond successfully, you know, but we, we've just been totally ignored really. And there's no benefit at all. We've still got the same three council buildings we're paying rent on and you know, to operate. There's been no savings whatsoever in actually merging them. So I, I definitely, yeah.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Happy for you gentlemen to interact, interrupt each other and argue if you feel there's something you need to say. Um, but let's go around again for another round of answers.

Starting with you again, Peter Cox. Could you tell us what you're most proud of it? I've in the last eight years as, as what you've achieved.

Peter Cox
Yeah, really appreciate the opportunity to do that. Um, look for me. I know that the coastal pathway has been something that the community is really embraced. Uh, they love the aspects of walking along, checking out the, uh, the views, catching the breezes, but most importantly they're getting out exercising, enjoying our, our, you know, coastal lifestyle. So in my time, I've delivered over three kilometers of a coastal pathway in division three. And, um, my next term, if I'm fortunate enough to be reelected, I want to see that continued off and completed for division three. And then we can move to see some of the other areas. There's another million dollars allocated in the 20 to 21, uh, financial year. And I'm hopeful that that will finish off that project Now

Rob Blackmore ABC
what about the stadium? You're going to get a big stadium for us?

Peter Cox
Yeah. Well having a,

Rob Blackmore ABC
Did you see Andrew Wallace talking about that yesterday complaining that we don't have a big stadium.

Peter Cox
Oh, I did hear about that. Yes.

Rob Blackmore ABC
What's your response to that?

Peter Cox
Oh look, I've been very sub

Rob Blackmore ABC
Is he saying you should fund it as a council or he should fund it as a federal government.

Peter Cox
If he's gonna I think the offer from what I understand was that he was going to help us achieve some federal grant money, which we certainly require to have that completed. But yes, a finished off sunshine coast stadium would certainly be one of the priorities in the next term for me. Um,

Rob Blackmore ABC
well I might pause you on that because these other gentlemen haven't had two terms in council. What would you do, Stan? If you were elected as a main priority for the division, what would you, what would you like to achieve?

Stan
I think we really need to concentrate on division three because like some of the stuff we've spoken about this morning, you're going to be one vote at a table.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Second suing. You won't have another vote on that. That'll be the courts that are deciding that one,

Stan
The courts are deciding goes away. But everything, every, you know, in the 20 years we've been here, we've, we've had three or four changes in the town plan, but nothing in this, in Calandra itself, nothing much has happened.

Rob Blackmore ABC
So what would you do for Caloundra? Talk about what you want to see done. with your one vote?

Stan
Just for me with my one vote, what I'd like to see is that we can dump green waste for no cost all year round.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Some a couple of people have asked that they've asked about curb, uh, not only the curbside collection but, but in vouchers for the tip that Brisbane city council for instance offers to their rate payers.

Stan
Yeah. And it was all the green waste that goes to the tip. We sell it. So it's cost effective to get more for nothing.

Rob Blackmore ABC
So free grain, rice free green roast.

Peter Cox
We do actually provide free mulch back to the community.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Is that all the time though?

Peter Cox
But when supplies are there, often the supplies for them.

Stan
And if we said free green waste whenever you get your supplies, never going to be an issue. All right. Because I feel my highlights you'd up go down there with, and it costs me $21 to empty it and I'm paying rates as well. So that's a real thing with me. The other thing is curbside collections once a year. I think they should be reintroduced

Rob Blackmore ABC
the budget of that. Peter Cox. And why and why council refuses to do it. It's a budget issue, isn't it?

Peter Cox
Well, not only that, it does come with a obviously cost implication for the rate payers, but, um, the workshops that we've done previously have focused around the fact that only one out of four households actually used it, use the service. The other thing which is really surprising is that a lot of the recyclable components would go straight to landfill and obviously consume some of that, uh, capacity that we have in our landfills. So instead of at the moment you can go to the transfer station and separate your steel and some of your leg electronic. Um, your fridges and all that type thing. Um, those particular components under a curbside collection, we're actually ending up and land site our landfill and obviously consuming that capacity at a much faster rate.

He,

Rob Blackmore ABC
but I think that's, is that really the answer? Because he's done Noosa have to deal with that and they've got to deal with people putting out stuff that could go landfill. They take it out and they re they reverted, divert it to proper strain.

Peter Cox
Certainly there were, there were people that would go around and I would sort of, you know, sort through before the, uh, the council crews came through or the contractor.

Rob Blackmore ABC

So people want it though

Stan
It's almost becomes a social event because probably 50% of what gets put on the side of the road doesn't end up with you.

Peter Cox
Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Well, let's go to Mike on, on things to achieve in that, in that first term if elected.

Mike Jessop
Definitely. Well, we're never gonna get to restore the Currimundi's to the Queensland beach of the year award under councilor Cox, unfortunately.

Rob Blackmore ABC
And what does that mean?

Mike Jessop
Well, basically Currimundi Lake is a sewage farm. As, as we speak, you can't even kayak there. I'm sorry. This is one of, Councillor Cox's achievements in office. The second one is a course.

Peter Cox
Can I just have him explain what he means there because

Rob Blackmore ABC
Sewage farm overflows.

Peter Cox
Unity Water had the recent breakage. That's not a council asset. So I don't know how that's my fault.

Mike Jessop
Well, I'm sorry, I beg to differ. Currimundi Lake is the main asset in a division three, which you're not aware in case you weren't. And also the cleanup, the cleanup of it. You can't even, you know, you can't even swim or surf there. There's that. There's been no cleanup by the council or anything like that. And we're certainly not going to get Australian tidy towns award with all that toilet paper. That's it. But I'll be aiming for both of those in my, in my term,

Rob Blackmore ABC
you'll instruct a unity water to do a better job.

Mike Jessop
Oh, definitely. I mean, there'll be, however that's happened, I'll be going straight into it. I really will. The third thing I'd like to, Oh, there's a humorous one there, so I won't do that.

Uh, business charges, charging $95 a square meter to operate a kayak hire company for heaven's sake and uh, you know, a boat hire business is uh, you know, there's absolutely no, what's the name? Jamieson wants to create employment. You're never going to do it every month. You've got some charge between 200 and 900 every month. This is a tax on employment - two of those are the council rates or business tax. I will abolish business rates. That's it to actually generate as a start what needs to happen in the business community to regenerate. What's going next?

Rob Blackmore ABC
What are the business rates that you're referring to these accounts?

Mike Jessop
The Council collect the rates

Peter Cox
I've got no idea. I'd like him to really explain what there's rates

Stan NeuroSky
this probably won't sound the way you want it to, but I think we can't make promises we can't keep, you know, when you say that we're going to get rid of one, one lot of rates that you've called something, have you actually costed it

Mike Jessop
Certainly, yeah, definitely. We're spending far too much money on things like submarine cables for heavens sake. You know, the, the actual service supplied by council is just nonexistent. You know, you've got, you've got the waste, which is, you know, hardly anything. And obviously the roads and the, you know, making the place look tidy. Uh, and that, that will be my priority. But basically business rates, that's a tax on employment. It's not, council doesn't have to charge that and it doesn't have to charge half the other ( charges) I mean $10,000 to run a coffee shop for heaven's sake in a caravan its just ridiculous Councillor Cox does not seem to be aware of the actual number of government charges .

Peter Cox
Mike I'm very aware of government charges

Mike Jessop
And what have you done about this? And that's what I'm going to do about it straight away.

Rob Blackmore ABC
I'm happy for you just respond to some of that,

Peter Cox
I'm not quite sure if Mike's referring to our sort of, um, uh, our permit systems that allow people like coffee vans and the like to operate in. Um, say for example, uh, a car park or something like that, which is a community asset. So they certainly do need to apply. And have those uh, regulatory sort of processes in place. It's, it's $95 a square meter for the per annum. So for someone to occupy a car park for example, to sell coffee from, you know, it's a very cheap um, form of rent

Stan
I'd have to disagree with you Peter $95 a square meter for a piece of park land is pretty high. Uh, I was paying $135 a meter in town in a Henzell's building. Uh, so $95 a metre down there where it's almost a tourist attraction for someone to go there and have a coffee down there. We should be encouraging and we shouldn't be charging them an arm and leg to do it.

Mike Jessop
Absolutely. And there's nothing and this is Caloundra and Currimundi now - There's absolutely nothing that you've got - the Twilight zone face(-stuff), you know, the things that go around the whole Sunshine Coast. That's about it. In the whole of Caloundra there is nothing at all for tourists to come and do. There really isn't. I mean there really isn't. Both the Kayak and the Boat Hire. They're being slapped with these ( $95 per square metre charges). They're thinking about packing in. I know them. They're thinking about packing in. They really are, there won't be anything to do at all.

This is a tax on employment They're individuals, they're, you know, flesh and blood, human beings - do you pay $10 grand to go into work!?That's basically what you're asking them to do. And this should not be, there's a whole lot, I tell you, there's about 12. There's at least a dozen charges per annum that you've got. If you run a business that's more than your operating costs, it really is.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Is Moffat Beach ( Blackwater) brewing in your division?

Peter Cox
No. No.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Okay. Because they were talking on the radio this morning about some huge charge for material change of use for a zoning issue for where the brewery is going to be.

Peter Cox
But yeah, look, microbreweries have sort of popped up

Mike Jessop
We're just not here ( for Council) to make money out of us. That's it.

Peter Cox
Yeah. microbreweries, um, typically if they want to brew a on site, generally that's gotta be in a commercial zoning. Um, so typically they will have a shop front or commercial sort of, um, you know, licensed retail area. Uh, and then they might have a, a separate sort of brewhouse which is zoned at appropriately. So in an industrial area generally. So there's some of the complexities that, um, I certainly, uh, tried to work through with your mates when they were relocating from off, uh, Moffat beach up to Warana. So yeah,

Rob Blackmore ABC
Chaps, the, Tom's going to get us, we might go around for a, a, a final session from each of you on, um, I guess talking to the voter that's sat through this conversation and listened to what you had to say, talking to them about what your going to provide for them on, you know, on voting day, what you provide.

If you're elected, you can talk about, again, some of those more aspirational things that you're hoping to achieve. But um, yeah, to the voter, your pitch. Uh, and some final comments. Peter, we'll start again with you.

Peter Cox
Okay. Thanks Rob. Um, yeah, look, I'd just really like all of the candidates to understand that they are one vote out of the 11. So it's very difficult to, um, over promise and then under deliver. Um, I see myself as being very genuine. I'm not aligned to anyone. I certainly think that my experience has, um, showed a lot over the last eight years and I've, I'm very proud of some of the things that I've actually delivered for the community. Well on their behalf

Rob Blackmore ABC
Well you'll be a senior Councillor if you're reelected with some pretty senior people,

Peter Cox
There will be a few new faces, that's for sure. And with that comes new ideas and um, yeah, I'm sort of willing to embrace that. Um, but yeah, with me, um, I'm very sort of, um, keen to protect our relaxed coastal lifestyle. That for me is the most important thing as a father. Um, I want to see opportunities here for my kids when they grow up. Not only education but also for employment. So they're some of the things that I think people with a, they look at maybe our annual report from last year. Um, and go back through and have a look at what council has actually achieved and delivered. I, I know, I'm certainly proud of it.

Rob Blackmore ABC
And um, how many voters do you think will actually got to do that though.

Peter Cox
Well, this is the problem. I, I think if the, if the voters out there read something like the, our annual report and saw just how,

Rob Blackmore ABC
What's the headline, what's the headline? What would it tell us

Peter Cox
how progressive we are, how we're not, you know, we were quite a bold council and I'm very proud of that.

We're not just sitting here, you know, resting on our laurels. We're actually embracing these opportunities. We live in a world which is being disrupted constantly and we're not afraid to do it. I know change is sometimes hard for a lot of people, but we're certainly, uh, we have been willing to embrace that for the benefit of our entire community. So that's probably one of the key things I'd like to see people do is just really understand our annual report and have a look at some of those achievements that we, we have actually done on behalf of the community.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Thanks Peter - Stan?

Stan
Yeah, reading the annual report's going to be a nice thing to do one evening. But with me it's more all about uh, regular consultation with the community to see what in division three they want bringing you back and somehow trying to make the cost of living on the Sunshine Coast less than it is now. Whether that's through free green waste, I guess. If you're don't have to pay for the truckload of stuff down there, you got another 20 bucks to spend on coffee on the road. Er curbside collections I think is another thing that should come back. So that that's me. It's an, and all I want to do is just put something back into the community that I've lived for 20 years.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Thank you Stan. Mike, final comments from you?

Mike Jessop
Yes definitely this is only the beginning. This is the start of what I intend to do. Uh, and frankly, I mean the 5% reduction in domestic rates per annum for the next four years. That is what I will deliver because of the profligate overspending that takes place in council. That's the first thing

On the planning strategy, I'll input the planning strategy - we've mentioned the homeless; On the commercial, the primary focus will be in my time on the council will be in promoting commercial premises.

We've had the area size of a small town outside Courbould ( Park), which is hardly even set up because you know, it's just so expensive and

I will abolish business rates. It's not hard that most, I'd say 80% of the rates come out of um, domestic. You, you pay rates at home, you go to work, why should you have to pay rates again? AND everyone else that comes there, I can't see why we have business rates. I really don't.

And then lastly with the planning strategy that will be definitely to maintain. It's not a problem. You know, it's mostly dwellings, areas in and around sunshine coast. That's why people come here, but they're not all retirees. These people have to operate from somewhere. You need to service that.

All these, you know, air conditioning, for example, there was a complete, absolute shortage. It's cheaper to rent somewhere in Brisbane or Sydney than rent on the Sunshine Coast because there's been no provision for commercial premises. I'm talking about factories.

The 59 jobs, SIC 59 that had been generated in manufacturing in the last 10 years by mayor Jamieson and latterly ( in the last eight 8 years) Mr. Cox is a complete farce, I mean, it really is.

There is just way, way too much overspending on public administration staff and basically it's a complete neglect of what actually really matters, which is regeneration of the economy.

Rob Blackmore ABC
Okay. We'll take that as a, as a final comment from you, Mike Jessop so thank you so much, gentlemen. Thank you for attending. Mike Jessop Peter Cox and Stan NeuroSky sitting with us here for division three. And, uh, good luck on voting day, gentlemen, thanks for coming in.
Thank you.

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