Home Hill State High School's agriculture and horticulture students will soon benefit from upgraded facilities as a new deadline has been set for the delivery of this project.

Burdekin MP Dale Last has voiced dissatisfaction with the state government's handling of the project, highlighting a concerning three-year delay.

“Just days before the government reshuffle we had confirmation that a tender for the construction of the facility had been awarded,” Mr Last said. 

“The latest advice is that the project will be completed late this year and that’s a commitment that needs to be honoured.”

Mr Last added that the students and teachers at Home Hill High are doing their best but are being held back due to poor planning at a higher level. 

“We have been offered a shopping list of excuses but, frankly, the delays are due to poor planning from the start,” he said.

“The only positive to come from these delays is the fact that now, according to the advice I have received, further consultation was undertaken with relevant industries.”

Mr Last said he shared the frustrations felt by students, parents and industry with regards to the project.

“The Burdekin and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of these industries,” he said. 

“The fact we have needed to fight for years to have these facilities built is indicative of the current government’s disconnect from regional communities and key industries.”

Mr Last said that the facility gives students the ability to learn hands-on and graduate with skills that can be put to use to help grow the industries we rely on.

“In financial terms this is not a huge project but from the point of view of supporting local students and key industries, it is invaluable,” he said.

“If you look at it from a wider perspective it also has an effect on our food security and even national security. 

“From a local point of view, however, it’s about honouring a promise to our kids and allowing them to secure their future and the district’s future.”

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Supporting the future: Dale Last with 2023 school leaders from Home Hill State High, Ayr State High, Burdekin Catholic High and Burdekin Christian College

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A Burdekin local, I moved to Clare upon marrying my husband Peter Hall in 1993. We have four children, Lachlan, Jacob, Connor and Meggan. Actively involved in the following community events: Recipient of Ralph Jackson Memorial Courtesy Award, Rotary Queen Entrant Home Hill Harvest Festival, Woolworths Queen Entrant Ayr Water Festival, Miss Australia Quest Entrant, winning title of Miss Sugar Industry 1988. Currently Secretary LNP Burdekin SEC and Vice Chair LNP Dawson FDC. My love for the Burdekin is my strongest qualification.

I would ensure that each area and town in the Burdekin Shire had equal and effective representation. I would actively work to make this happen.

I believe people want a Council who will listen to them and who will act in the town’s best interest. Projects are being stonewalled with Government red tape and this needs to be addressed. As elected representatives, Councillors need to ask the hard questions in Chambers and stay strong in their convictions.

The first 100 days would be filled with educating myself on Council and Local Government procedures. I would make myself available to people as much as possible and would welcome any issues or concerns that they may have.

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I am a born and bred Burdekin boy. I am husband and a father of 3 children aged between 6 and 12 who are very active within the community. I believe being self-employed, running 2 local businesses together with my wife and assisting local sporting and community clubs has given me some skills that can help me make informed decisions to make positive change to the whole Burdekin district.

It’s a cliché but reducing red tape on development and the current housing shortage needs to be addressed by all levels of government. If the council can speed up development in any way it needs to be done.

I guess most ratepayers right now would love to see council tighten its belt a little and improve efficiency the same way every other business and family has had to with the recent skyrocketing inflation.

My first 100 days will probably look not too different to right now. I don’t have some unrealistic plan to make big, fast changes that are felt instantly. Council need to be strategic and calculated in every decision made. If elected I will have over 1400 days to encourage change that will see the Burdekin be a much safer and liveable community that continues to deliver major projects, provide great community events, but does so in a way that is affordable.

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I was born and raised in the Burdekin and have lived here all of my life.  I have been employed at the Ayr Police Station for 25 years. In that time I have seen and have been involved in a lot of situations that has given me the experience to be able to help resolve any issues that are presented. My goal if elected; I would commit to helping and fighting for the residents of the Burdekin Shire ensuring that their voice is heard.

Drainage has been a big part of the problems in the town. I would endeavour to discuss the drainage issues with the appropriate section to achieve a result that is favourable to the town residents. Community safety is another issue, I would work actively with individuals and agencies, all law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of all my constituents to help them to feel safe in their own homes.

I think the people want to be heard. They are who will be electing the Councillors and we are there for them. I want to be their voice in Council. There is a lot of problems in the area that need to be addressed. I would listen and endeavour to do my best to fight for them in Council.  

The first 100 days will be a very big learning time for me. I will be working out how to best listen and help the community in Council. I have never been in local Government and I will be finding my feet. I will be getting to know my other Councillors so together we will do what’s right for the local community.

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At 12pm, Tuesday February 13, nominations closed for the upcoming Local Government Election with two mayoral candidates formally confirmed and 13 other candidates vying for six positions on the Burdekin Shire Council.

Pierina Dalle Cort and Lyn McLaughlin have both announced their Mayoral candidacy and will both share their vision in next week’s edition of Burdekin Life.

Meanwhile, the names of 13 candidates were drawn at random on Wednesday February 14, the order of the draw deciding how the candidates will appear on the ballot paper on March 16 election day.

There were also 13 candidates in the 2020 Local Government Election while over 20 people ran for Council in 2016.

Three councillor candidates, Michael Detenon, Max Musumeci and John Furnell, are running for a consecutive term while two councillors, Llewelyn Davies and Mark Haynes, have previously served as councillors of the Burdekin Shire Council.

Councillor candidates represent the far reaches of the Burdekin, with candidates from Ayr, Home Hill, Brandon, Clare, Giru and Alva putting their hands up.

The local government election is due to take place on March 16, with early voting to open from March 4 at the Burdekin Sports Club Hall, 142 Wickham Street, Ayr.

To kick things off, Burdekin Life has introduced a Meet the Candidates feature this week and asked each person the following questions:

   1. Who are you and what do you think qualifies you for the role?

   2. If you could initiate a project or address one issue in the region – what would it be and how you would go about it?

   3. What do you think the people most want now and how would you give it to them?

   4. Tell us what your first 100 days would look like if you were successful in your election bid?

Read on to hear from your councillor candidates in no particular order and grab next week’s edition of Burdekin Life to hear from your mayoral candidates.

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Mayoral Candidates

   • Pierina Dalle Cort

   • Lyn McLaughlin

Councillor Candidates

   • Amanda Hall

   • Michael Detenon

   • Scott Worlein

   • Michael Fraser

   • Jayson O’Keeffe

   • Delfine Marisa Vasta (Fina)

   • Llewelyn Davies

   • Max Musumeci

   • Michael Backo

   • Mark Haynes

   • John Furnell

   • Warren Francis

   • Callan Oar

(Candidates listed in the order they will appear on the ballot paper)‍

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Meet The Candidates

Mayoral and council candidates have been invited to the following community forums:

   • Ayr – Tuesday, February 20 at the Kalamia Hotel from 6:00pm (hosted by Burdekin Chamber)

   • Home Hill – Wednesday, February 21 at the Home Hill Community Sports Club Inc from 5:30pm (hosted by the Home Hill Chamber of Commerce)

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My wife and I have been involved in two successful businesses, “L Js Pizza Inn” for five years and “Burdekin Swim School” for thirty years. I’ve been involved in many local volunteer organisations in various capacities. Whilst in the Burdekin I have worked in Public Service as a Paramedic for over twenty years and a Registered Nurse. The mix of private enterprise and public service employment helps me understand the pros and cons of both in the local council arena.      

‘Burdekin Safe’– I want people to feel safe in the community, to have community look after community by giving a ‘hand up’ when required. The recent cyclone, Kirrily, demonstrated how community can work together and help their neighbour. Three challenges of community are safety, housing and cost of living which confront governments at all levels. The challenge for me is to work at a local level daily to see what is achievable and work with other tiers of government.

I believe people want a community they can be proud of and enhances community liveability. I believe they want someone who is community focussed.  I believe people want the basics that council provide done well ie roads, rubbish, drainage, recreation, culture  etc. The challenge for me is to work each day on continual improvement to be a better representative for the people of the Burdekin, listen, ask the hard questions and seek advice when needed to make a fair decision.

If elected I will “reassess” ie where I was in 2020, what I have learnt in the last four years at local Council and what can I do better in the next four years. I really don’t look at the first 100 days, I look at each day. I believe in the current ‘strategic planning’ ie having a worthy project, planning and designing, funding and implementing. You may only have ‘one shot’ at getting it right and it needs to benefit the whole shire.

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All my life I have lived and breathed Burdekin. Not only as a former Councillor, but I have also been a business owner, an employee in various industries and had extensive involvement with clubs and associations within the Burdekin region. I have worked across all aspects of industry across the Burdekin. Initially I was a business owner working for the family business in Home Hill and Ayr until going to the mines for 10 years where I worked with Leightons Contractors. 

One of the main issues I would like to address is our local Council’s requirement to utilise funds and resources provided by the Burdekin people to fund and carry out legislation that has been passed down from State and Federal Government.  In particular, I see a lot of red tape, planning and development in the environmental section, that is not only costing our community but also exhausting our local government funding to ensure these legislations are adhered to.  

I believe that one of the important issues for Burdekin residents at the moment is our ever-increasing annual rate charge for property owners. Whilst rate rises are not avoidable in the long term, I would ensure any future rises are proven valid and are attainable for the people of the Burdekin.  

If elected, my first 100 days in council would be to assess the inherited budget adopted by our previous Council and begin preparation by reviewing the upcoming projects and their associated costs. I want to make sure that robust debate is carried out on all areas of discussion before a decision is made to ensure that the best possible outcome of every decision, is the best possible outcome for our community.  It is essential that councillors not be seen as an ornamental cog in the wheel of bureaucracy. 

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I am 58 years old and have lived in the Burdekin since I was three. Together with my partner Jill, we have four adult children and two beautiful grandchildren. I have worked in the Disability Employment sector for over 20 years and am currently CEO of NQ Employment. I secured the Containers for Change contract through NQ Green Solutions to bring a recycling facility to this area. I previously served on local Council for eight years, being Deputy Mayor for four years.

Youth crime is out of control across the region. As I have been a victim of youth crime in the Burdekin I would urge local Council to actively work together with State and Federal levels of government as well as local law enforcement officers and community service providers to help stop the youth crime rate.  

People want to feel safe in their own homes and be able to put food on the table for their family.

They want to review Council operations and identify unnecessary expenditure and put these funds to better use. Look at funding opportunities to run security patrols and perhaps subsidised security devices.

Review the current council’s Strategic Plan and budget. Identify any changes that need to be made.  Listen to the people of the Burdekin and take their voice back to Council.

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I’m a local bloke that wants the best for the community. 

There is a lot of issues that residents want addressed. Until a person is elected and understands how the systems work then a person can’t make changes. It’s no good beating a drum if you aren’t sure you can change anything. 

Straight and simple they want transparency on the decision that is being made for their community. 

The first 100 days will be understanding the workings of being a Councillor and listening to what the residents want.

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Having just completed my first term of council, I still believe I have the qualities necessary to carry out the role of Councillor. I have been farming now for 30 years and in that time, I have worn many hats. These include Real Estate, mining, property development and even a lawn mowing business. I have been a member of the local Community bank board for 10 years now. All these experiences have given me the tools I need to make valid inputs in the council.

Having started the expansion of the Ayr industrial estate in 2023, the next project I would like to see is some industrial land in or south of Home Hill opened up. There are some very successful businesses on the south side of the river and finding them somewhere to grow would be fantastic. Such land is hard to find but it would be fantastic. 

I see the cost-of-living crisis impacting everyone at the moment. Trying to minimise any rate rises is something I have been pushing for and voted against in my term. CPI has impacted everyone and everything including Council operations. However, I believe we can help at a Council level and I will continue to push for this.

The first 100 days will see successful Councillors hit the ground running. It's budget time this time of year at Council and it is a lot of information to take in for anyone. I remember my first day four years ago thinking "you are a long way from the farm now mate!"

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I am an Indigenous Juru South Sea Island man. I have lived in the Burdekin all my life and have worked in the local sugar industry for 20 years and am currently a Union Delegate. I negotiate on a regular basis to make sure that my fellow workers have a safe work environment and are given fair work opportunities within the Industry. I want to contribute to the futures of our next generations.  

I would like to be involved in creating activities for the young people of our community to recognise and develop their skills and allow them to be involved in projects such as protecting and maintaining our estuary and river systems and maintaining the wetlands. I would engage with government agencies and local sugar cane farmers. I would like to be involved with renewable projects that would assist the community with the cost of their energy bills such as solar, hydrogen and battery power.  

Right now I believe that people want to be heard about their day to day issues. I want to sit down face to face with people and listen to what they would like me to raise and help them achieve an outcome that is in the best interest for everybody within the community. I am very aware that people are frustrated with not being able to be heard about issues and that desperately needs to change.

In the first 100 days I will be engaging with all aspects of the community such as rate payers, business owners, community organisations, schools, government agencies, Indigenous Elders and farming organisations to listen to their concerns so that I am able to have an understanding of their expectations. I would like to be able to assess what the Council have been working on and achieved in this last term. I want to be able to report back to the community on a regular basis.

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I am proudly a born and raised Burdekin boy. I've never had intentions to leave and want to continue to contribute to make this a great place to live. I am a local business owner who has been actively involved in the community throughout my life and am now vying for my second term in council to continue to do what I can to help the residents of our great shire. 

I am very passionate and excited about the Ayr Industrial Estate expansion and hope to see it through to completion. Attracting new industries is an integral way to grow our shire generating new jobs and in turn bringing new residents to the Burdekin which has so much to offer for families. Local and national companies, both small and large are looking to expand and I think if we have the suitable land ready to go, the Burdekin will be a great pick.

I believe there has been some great new projects completed over the last few terms of Council and the shire is currently in a good state. With the cost of living rising and people feeling this, I think keeping costs as low as possible is the resident’s main concern. I believe we need to look at just maintaining what we’ve got and keeping our costs as low as possible. 

If I am elected again by the Burdekin community as a representative, It would be business as usual for me with the Council currently approaching budget. This is where I will advocate the ideas above, focusing on trying my best to keep costs as low as possible whilst maintaining the great facilities our shire offers. Whilst I can't promise anything as I am only one representative, I will endeavour to keep our shire growing, continuing to advocate for my community.

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I am a born and bred Burdekin resident who wants our strong community to continue to prosper well into the future. As a current business owner and former sugar industry contractor I have a diverse background and understanding of what drives the Burdekin. I’m prepared to listen to our community and share their ideas and insights.

I would be supportive of any project that helps retain our young families here in the Burdekin and encourages new residents to our shire. Projects that provide enhanced liveability to all residents also help to drive our economy, so are beneficial across the wider sector.

Unfortunately, what most people want currently is greater security and less juvenile crime and this is an area that Local Government has little control of. I would however be supportive of any State Government initiatives that may assist to improve the current situation and restore faith in our justice system.

I imagine the first few months will involve numerous training workshops and plenty of information to understand the processes required within Local Government. This time will enable me to absorb much of what Burdekin Shire Council has planned moving forward and how I am able to contribute and add value over the following four years.

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Three Burdekin youth have been arrested and charged for an alleged stolen vehicle incident in Ayr last Friday morning, February 9.

Police officers were called to a fuel state along Edwards Street, just after 9am, following reports of a stolen car sighting.

Upon police arrival, it will be alleged the Holden Commodore attempted to leave the scene before crashing into a nearby concrete curb and fence.

It will be further alleged the driver tried to leave the scene on foot but was arrested after a brief altercation with police.

Two other people, who were allegedly inside the vehicle at the time, were taken into police custody at the scene.

The Commodore was reported stolen from a Kilrie Road property in Jarvisfield at 3pm on February 8.

A 21-year-old Ayr man has been charged with one count each of dangerous operation of a vehicle, unlawful use of motor vehicle, wilful damage, serious assault police officer, driving unlicenced, possess dangerous drugs, possess utensils or pipes, possess property suspected of having been used in drug offence, and stealing.

A 26-year-old Ayr woman has been charged with one count each of unlawful use of motor vehicle, obstruct police, fraud relating to a fuel drive off, and possess dangerous drugs.

A 17-year-old Ayr boy has been charged with 20 offences, including 14 counts of enter premises and commit, three counts of unlawful use of motor vehicle, and one count each of stealing, serious assault police officer, and attempted unlawful use of motor vehicle.

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Screenshots of the Police footage of the arrest of the Ayr man. Video supplied

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I was a Police Officer for 37 years and a Search and Rescue specialist. I am the current Local Controller for the Burdekin SES and a core member of the Local Disaster Management Group. As the Disaster Management Officer with Burdekin Shire Council, I am familiar with the daily operations of Council. I am a long-time Emergency Service volunteer and have a passion for assisting the community through training, boat-safe awareness, and in times of need.

Ex-TC Cyclone Kirrily presented some challenges to the community and showed a great community spirit in the way people prepared themselves and their homes for the severe weather event. I witnessed many people assisting friends, neighbours, and relatives to prepare also. I would like to enhance what I witnessed. I would like to progress some community engagement events in an effort to give people more knowledge, skills and ability to improve their resilience in times of severe weather events.

Most community members want transparency, honesty and hard-work from the Councillors to address their issues and concerns. I will strive to be open and accessible to listen to the community. I won’t use jargon to mislead or confuse and will take the time to ensure people understand me and I understand them. If asked a question I will give a forthright reply within the limitations of my position.

Boots on the ground, I will get out amongst the community and listen to people’s concerns and priorities. I will discuss community concerns and expectations with Council and find common ground to work together. I will Give feedback to community, get to know my fellow councillors, share your goals and listen to their feedback while understanding their goals as well. I aim to work as part of a cohesive team to address community concerns and will review my actions and adjust where necessary to achieve my goals.

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