Townsville's mayoral by-election is heating up as candidates reveal their priorities for the city. The Electoral Commission of Queensland has begun mailing postal ballots, which must be completed and posted by 6pm on November 15.
Chris Poulsen, a restaurant owner and former financial planner, is one of the candidates. He said he wants the council to better maintain the entire city, not just The Strand and CBD. 'Townsville is much bigger than The Strand and the CBD,' he said. 'I would be focusing on bringing the maintenance back up and tidying the place as a whole.'
Mr Poulsen said he would be eager to see water sports on the Ross River Dam subjected to environmental approvals. He also emphasized fiscal restraint: 'What I am not looking to do is spend more money because, as most people are aware, council doesn't have a lot of money at the moment.'
Other candidates include former mayor Troy Thompson, who was suspended after a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into his claims of SAS service. He has denied wrongdoing and promised to audit the council's past two decades. Harry Patel, a former nurse and four-time mayoral hopeful, opposes paid parking on The Strand. Former state MP Nick Dametto, now an independent, wants to lobby for funding to redevelop The Strand. Acting mayor Ann-Maree Greaney has committed to community consultation on budgets and no parking meters on The Strand.
