25/11/2022
Q&A from today's Mackay Whitsunday-life...
❓As a real estate agent, do you think people will consider your role as Councillor to be a conflict of interest?
🎤"That is my biggest concern that I am an agent, and the public will see that as being a problem. At Council meetings, if something is brought up about development, I have to leave the room, and I like that policy because then there is no conflict. I can still give my opinion, but I've got to leave the room when they make decisions about planning.
Also, no-one can take any donation from a developer, it's the number one thing on the 'no-no' list and I was happy when I read that because I have had a property person come to me and say they wanted to back me and I told them they couldn't. That's just how it is."
❓Your cousin Amanda Camm is the current state member for Whitsunday, do you think this gives you an edge over the other candidates?
🎤 "I've always had an interest in politics, last year when Andrew Willcox ran for Dawson, it was thrown at me to put my name in for Mayor and I said no - that's a full-time role and I can't do it. But Amanda has always said - at least have a go at local government - she's always been an advocate for that. Amanda has done a lot with local government before she went to state, so I will absolutely lean on her for advice."
❓ Can you confirm where you live? If not in Cannonvale, how do you expect to serve the people in that zone?
🎤 "I live in Conway at the moment, but you don't have to be living in your seat to run, you only have to be living in the Whitsunday region. Having said that, I do believe the candidate should live in the area they are representing. In fact, I've got a block of land under contract at Whitsunday Lakes which is in Division
2. In addition, since 1998 my wife and I have owned six properties in Cannon-vale. My postal address is Proserpine at the moment though."
❓We have recently published articles about local councillors working full-time in another industry while receiving 70K p/year to work as a Councillor part-time. Given people in our community are working 40 + hours per week on a minimum wage, where do you sit on this?
🎤 "Really good question. I've already spoken to the other Councillors to find out what sort of hours they are doing and it ranges anywhere from 10 to 30 a week. I am lucky because real estate is a very flexible job, if I was to become the new Councillor for Division 2, I've just got to be better with time management and I've got to work more hours. If I need to work seven days a week I will. I don't want people to think this is a part-time role, because it is not going to be."
❓As Tourism is one of our largest industries, what knowledge do you have of our local reef, its current condition and what is being done to help it?
🎤 "It is critical that the natural beauty of the Whitsundays is managed properly. As the town has grown there doesn't seem to be much management and planning. I would like to see us get people out of this district to see how other towns have been. managed - Noosa is a good example."
*Authorised by Andrew Camm, of 10 Tamarind Crescent, Proserpine 4800 (Candidate)
