I, Michael Burgess, as mayor will advocate
for the following policy initiatives
These are policies that will not cost a lot of money but rather need the "influence" of the council to cause them to happen, that is, the council’s “soft power” not its financial muscle
Many businesses like dealing with & helping to develop a region where the local government is cooperative & facilitates rather than creates obstacles. This should not be misinterpreted to mean allowing over-development because buildings are in an economic sense negative
We need to work with compatible industries to create long-term jobs that work within our environment & lifestyle to provide the prosperity to support those things that make the Coast the Coast
The Policies
Citizens' Committees to be formed to ensure the community has opportunities to input into all significant matters the council is considering & to have a final input before the final decision is finalised. This will enshrine & guarantee transparency & accountability rather than promising it
Forensic Examination of the $450 million borrowed by the council, how it was spent, the basis for that expenditure & values achieved
New Economic Initiative Taskforce that will refocus the council's Economic Department from its current internal consumption & "Special Projects" orientation to an outward-looking pursuit of compatible industries whose presence in our economy will provide the jobs & prosperity we need to ensure the 30% of our educated & trained young people do not continue to leave this region leaving us depleted of their innovations, entrepreneurialism & energy
Western Sunshine Coast Economic Zone be declared to unlock the vast potential of the Hinterland & rural areas of the coast through the encouragement of private investment & government-private joint initiatives in agriculture & local energy production
Sunshine Coast Housing Corporation be formed with the encouragement & influence, but not financial, support of the council. As part of this initiative, the types of housing allowed would be expanded to include a greater range as well as permitting location to have more flexible parameters
Infrastructure Advisory Board to coordinate, liaison & negotiate with the other levels of government & private corporations to achieve the maximum realistic available grants & PPP funds
Sociological Impact Group to thoroughly study the long-term impact of the densification of suburbs such as Aura, the stress caused by this & such issues as a severe shortage of parking, the concentration of generational unemployment into geographic pockets, the consequence on entrepreneurship, business start-ups & associated lack of business growth of falling home ownership percentage, & the correlation between densification & youth misbehavior
Food & Local Energy Strategy to establish local security for these plus reduce imports & relieve the pressure on the transport system
Olympic Economic Working Group to bring together government, educational institutes & businesses to work on immediate financial payback from the Games rather than the vague & perhaps improbable legacy benefit. Also to examine the best facilities to develop with the available money not just for the Olympics but for the long-term use of the community who will be here after they are over
Vote NO to Debt – Vote 1 Michael Burgess
Stop Borrowing • Slash Spending • Return Council to Service
Website: michaelburgessformayor.com
FaceBook: Michael Burgess for Mayor of Sunshine Coast
Authorised by Michael Burgess Candidate for Mayor of the Sunshine Coast
Jersey Place, Parrearra 0407 468 524
Questions for the Candidates
What is the “Bokarina Beach” Syndrome & what is it intended to achieve?
Where has all the money gone from the Sports Hub project that was supposed to filter back to grassroots sports?
What is impairment of assets?
How have the assets of the council been impaired?
How much does Unity Water owe the ratepayers of the Sunshine Coast?
How can we collect this money?
Why has the per capita economic activity of the Coast declined by .5% a year for the last 22 years?
How does the average household income on the Coast today compare with 2015?
Who was in charge of economic development during those years?
It’s Simple we can not
Regenerate our Environment
Protect our Lifestyle
without a Prosperous Economy
Without Small & Medium Local Business
We can not have Prosperity & Employment
Michael Burgess Championing Straight forward,
Transparent Leadership for the Sunshine Coast
If you would like to sponsor a banner or buy one & display it on your ute or truck or in your yard
Please text, phone or email us, we need your help to counteract the candidates with big budgets from big business
Vote 1 Michael Burgess for Mayor
Dear Supporters and Members of the Sunshine Coast Community,
As your mayoral candidate, I stand before you not just as a leader, but as a fellow member of this community, deeply committed to restoring trust, transparency, and integrity in our local government. In these times, when faith in our council is waning, I am reaching out to you for your support in shaping a future that reflects our shared values of honesty and straightforward governance.
A Call for Support: Investing in Our Community's Future
Your contribution, no matter the size, is an investment in a vision of the Sunshine Coast where local businesses flourish, council debts are managed with skill and foresight, and decisions are made with the community's best interests at heart. I am asking for your support to bring about this change.
Why Your Donations Matter
Strengthening Local Businesses: Your donations will aid in championing policies that support and nurture our local businesses, ensuring they remain the backbone of our economy.
Addressing Council Debt: With your backing, we can tackle the significant issue of council debt with strategic and practical solutions, setting a course for financial stability.
Ensuring Transparent Governance: Your contributions will help in creating a campaign grounded in transparency, where community involvement is not just welcomed but actively sought.
How to Donate
To contribute to our cause, please visit [Insert Donation Link or Instructions Here]. Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to a council that truly represents the people of the Sunshine Coast.
Your Support: A Step Towards Positive Change
By supporting this campaign, you are not just donating to an individual; you are supporting a movement towards a more transparent, accountable, and community-focused local government. Together, let's take a stand for the values we cherish and build a future that we can all be proud of.
With heartfelt thanks,
Michael Burgess Candidate for Mayor of the Sunshine Coast
Our local economy is struggling, because the Local Government policies have concentrated on encouraging & instituting measures that foster the increasing emphasis on large property development & these have direct negative impacts on local businesses
This has resulted in our regional economy suffering a severe drain of cash as we import increasingly large amounts & export less
Statistics indicate the average local household income has remained almost the same for the past 8 years, in fact, it has dropped slightly from
At the same time prices have increased 15.55%
Effectively households on the Coast have $16,000
less to spend than they did in 2012
But with all the price increases experienced in the last 8 years effective local consumers disposable income has dived & it is this dwindling amount of cash that all local business is dependent upon
This declining trend is robbing local business of its vitality & ability to be the provider of the vast majority of local jobs. There are 32,000 or so small & medium local businesses, there are 149,000 local jobs
Its not hard to see without a vibrant local business environment, we wont have a stable & growing employment market in a prosperous and thriving community, with a lifestyle the envy of the world, in an environment protected from exploitation
We need an economy that is more than a balance between exploitation & preservation
We one which feeds the Lifestyle & regenerate the Environment
We can not win the election
without the help of local business
Your contact with your Customers is an invaluable influence for the better, without this the local economic agenda will become dominated by what is good for those extracting wealth from the community
& not what is good for the people or the business of the Coast
Help there is a future for those here now & their kids & their kid’s kids
Without better management of our Development
local businessea will not find the environment
in which it can prosper
I know it is unusual in Australian elections, but we do need donations to support our campaign. We are battling against those well financed by groups determined to keep the “gravy train” of their self-interest running
Michael Burgess who is he?
I grew up in the tough outer Sydney suburbs in Housing Commission public housing, as it was then called, typical working class family of the time with one working parent & the basics of life were what we had & appreciated
Started work as a paper boy when I was about 13 & have worked ever since
How I am writing this today is due to those lucky chances that come along, I got into a selective public or state school so got a better education than my circumstances would normally have allowed
These life experiences has taught me a number of important lessons
One thing that is a core belief is education is the real “Game Changer” for everyone & everyone is entitled to get assess to the best they need
Another is that everyone should have the opportunity for really affordable housing that won’t break the backs of people life's work for 20 or so years just to provide shelter
I spent more years than I should have as an entrepreneurial business person, business is in my blood
But surprisingly my experience in business showed me there is every reason why councils shouldn’t be “in business” & I can find none for why they should be
The first and clearly most important is that business people work whatever hours they have to to ensure the success of their ventures, the low commitment many councilors & senior executive staff have to their responsibilities would in private industry almost guarantee failure
Small & medium sized business owners would find 12 or more hour days 7 days a week not abnormal
Some councilors find it difficult to attend even their once a month meeting & be prepared for it, if for no other reason than this councils simply don’t have the capacity to expand out into “business”
The amount of material that appears to be approved by council that they simply don’t ready & vote more or less on the recommendation of the appropriate council officer
Their senior staff & the councilors themselves simply don’t have the dedication to ensure everything goes right & all the “I” are dotted
Business people are constantly monitor a huge number of things they need to go right, councils seem to hand out responsibility with little supervision of what happens after that
Councils were designed to be very limited organisation formed to provide basic collective services needed by the communities that established them
They were never suppose to be involved in activities that required the same level of involvement to navigate thru “risk-taking” business
Unfortunately, a couple of laws introduced to aid communities to recover from catastrophic natural disasters had the unintended consequence of allowing councils to expand in very risky business enterprises unrestrained by the normal checks & balances real enterprise companies operate within
Beyond the arena of politicking, I am truly offended by the lack of respect shown to ratepayers & also the lack of care taken with their money
The often repeated mantra of this current crew occupying the council chamber that the ratepayers wouldn’t have this project or that bit of infrastructure if it wasn’t for them
Shows this lack of respect & care.
Firstly, everything down to the last nail,has been paid for by the ratepayers, not by the councilors, the senior execs or their sponsors
Secondly, all these things have a value, if they cost us twice or three time or ven four times what they are worth, it would have been better if we never saw or heard of them
Authorised by Michael Burgess 11 Jersey Place, Parrearra
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