In a major announcement Chris Smith Ipswich Candidate for Mayor
has pledged 25% of his salary as Mayor to go directly into a community fund. That
equates to over $50,000 per year and over $200,000 over his term.
“I would rather have that money go back to the people that need it in this
region, plenty of people are doing it tough,” Mr smith said.
“Life is tough, with droughts, fires,
floods and now COVID-19 Coronavirus hitting the country and adding on to
everyday struggles, it is more important than ever to ensure all levels of
government, emergency services and health care professionals work together in
what could be a massive crisis. At this point the safety of everyone in this
City is my main priority.”
He says it is the perfect time to be a part of the Council.
“Ipswich has been given a second chance and it is time we take the opportunity
to use our restructured Council to its full capacity to ensure each citizen
gets what they need to make life a little easier,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith is one of the many hopefuls across the State heading to the polls as
an independent. His reason is a reaction to the poor running of Ipswich City
Council that has been exposed. He says this is his first time at bat and he
wants to minimise waste and expenses in his campaign and is interested to see
if he can run a campaign on the smell of an oily rag…excuse the reference to a fossil
fuel…
The conversation turns serious once more.
“I have seen so much growth and development
in the region in the last 12 years I have lived here and thought everything was
on track. I was absolutely mortified when former Mayor Paul Pisasale went to prison,
two successors were also ousted from their positions and the Councillors were all
kicked out,” he said.
“Reading the final amended Vision 2020 report by Interim
Administrator Greg Chemello is a real eye opener and I encourage everyone to
read the report to see what was happening, what they did to fix the issues and
what awaits Councillors and the community in the future.”
He said Mr Chemello uncovered a whole lot of bad
behaviour, secrecy,
a lack of respect for the
law and a mountain of mismanagement.
“He has done well creating
the necessary organisational changes and regulatory framework to
make running the Council legal again,” Mr Smith said.
“There was a total lack of respect for processes and worse still
a culture of bulling and intimidation was rank in the organisation.
“Mr Chemello has certainly cleaned up the Council and
under my watch we won’t make the mistakes of the past.
“I am putting myself up for election to do a job for the people of Ipswich and
not play party politics.
I want to work with a team to benefit the region.
“I admit, the growth and the changes made under Mr Pisasale were great, and in
that regard, I will be encouraging businesses to call Ipswich home. We have
some great industrial sites perfect for factories and transport and logistics
businesses. I want more people to want to call Ipswich home, because it is a
great place for families. I want the council to create services that can be monetised
to create jobs and create wealth, I have so many ideas running through my head,
I want the Council to get out of debt so we can focus on looking after our
people and give them what they deserve…safety, opportunity and quality of life.
“I really want Ipswich to get all it can and I want to work with every
department both federal and State to ensure our infrastructure, roads, schools,
hospitals and our community groups clubs and societies are helped to get the
most money possible through grants.
“My plan is to set up a section in the
Council specifically engaging with groups and helping them write grant
proposals to increase the chance of success, and hopefully successes for the
Council as well.”
He says he also wants to work with other
councils and will see if it is feasible sharing assets like heavy machinery to
ensure the machinery is utilised efficiently.
He says a few things need to be tweaked like the new idea of Community
Reference Groups.
Mr Smith says that it leaves the door open for some people who are vying for
positions that push their own agenda rather than getting views from the
people.
“I know it’s difficult getting people to interact but doing it how it has been
done limits the scope of the ideas. You end up with a small group that have agendas
steering policy, if it was possible to pick Reference Group members the same
way we choose a jury, randomly off the electoral role, and even pay them for
their service, I believe we’d have a much better indication of what the
community really thinks from a truly broad cross section,” he says.
He said what’s been
created for incoming councillors is a well-structured corporate entity with checks balances and
accountability in
all facets
of business operations of the council.
“Frankly, reading the report and
knowing how much the Ipswich Council managed to achieve when it was broken
makes me feel filled with hope with what we can achieve with doing things the
right way,” he says.
“There are many other issues including the interchange to Mount Crosby off of Darren
Lockyer Way, the issue of super dumps, waste disposal and recycling,” but these
issues won’t be fixed in my first 100 days in office,” Mr Smith said.
ENDS:
Notes: Chris owns a clothing company Haulin’ Apparel, Haulin’ Workwear and is the Publisher of Australian Custom Trucks Magazine.
