by Janine Hill

Community, business and sporting identity Ashley “Tugboat” Robinson has vowed to listen and look first before making promises about what he will do if elected mayor.

The former publican, founder of the Island Charity Swim, and Sunshine Coast Rugby League life member has thrown his hat in the ring for the position held by Mark Jamieson for the past 12 years.

If elected, Mr Robinson plans to get himself out to communiites in the region so that residents can speak directly with him.

“I want to be the mayor that listens. What I want to do is go out in the first 12 months and have Meet the Mayor mornings where people come and tell me what the council is doing right and what the council is doing wrong and what things need fixing. That’s one thing I will promise,” he said.

Mr Robinson, of Wurtulla, a married father of two and grandfather, is about to begin two months leave from his job as development manager of the Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club to concentrate on campaigning.

He has committed to a full review of the council’s financials if elected and wants to look at whether or not rate rises are necessary.

“I don’t want to make any promises about anything to anyone until I look at the financial situation,” he said. “The first thing you do when you go into a new business is have a look at the P&L (profit and loss statement) and work out where you’re spending money and what you’ve got to spend,” he said.

A former Nambour High student who grew up on a pineapple farm, Mr Robinson said the hinterland would be treated fairly if he was mayor. “I grew up at Eudlo. Dad grew up at Mossy Bank, Mum grew up at Palmwoods, my grandfather had a bootmaking shop at Palmwoods. “I love the hinterland and I know how frustrated people in the hinterland get when they see money being spent at Mooloolaba. 

“I want to be a mayor for the whole of the Sunshine Coast. I’m not going to make any promises about sealing roads until I’ve looked at the financial situation but I’m certainly going to make sure the hinterland gets its share of funding and infrastructure,” he said.

Mr Robinson said cost of living, user-friendly public transport, and balancing population growth with lifestyle and amenity were high on his list of priorities.

“The population is coming. We’ve just got to figure out what’s the most sustainable way to accommodate them and that keeps our lifestyle and amenity as good as it can be.

“I think everybody agrees that the next four to eight years are critical as to which way we’re going to go.”

Mr Robinson’s working life has been spent mostly in hospitality but his public profile has grown in line with his community involvement.

He was manager of the landmark Mooloolaba Hotel in the 1990s before moving into management with two successive companies that had stables of several hotels and taverns, one of which had a charity foundation, through which he coordinated the building of an orphanage in India.

He has invested much of his spare time in rugby league, particularly as chairman of the Sunshine Coast Falcons for the past 11 years, and in the Island Charity Swim, which has raised $2 million for Sunshine Coast special schools over more than 20 years. 

An animal lover, he has also supported animal welfare causes with his wife, Sheila.

Knack for leadership

Mr Robinson said the success of his projects had been down to the support of others but admitted he had a knack for pulling a team together.

“That is actually one thing I have got – I can get people rowing the boat the same way.”

He revealed he had previously considered running for council and put it back on his agenda when Mark Jamieson announced he would not run again in March.

“When the subject came up, I had a bit of a look at it. I thought about running the first time Mark Jamieson ran but I realised their campaign would be too big and my wife didn’t think it was a good idea,” he said.

“I’ve always been interested in council and the strategies and the decisions they make.

“I thought, ‘Here’s an opportunity that’s come at the right time for me. I’m going to put my hand up and see how I go,’ and my wife, Sheila, was quite supportive. She said: ‘Give it a go. You’re not going to die wondering’.”