RURAL roads, footpaths, and activating Nambour’s CBD are all high in the priority list of mayoral candidate Rosanna Natoli.

“If you live anywhere west of the Bruce Highway, you have been missing out on your fair share of funding,” Ms Natoli said at Nambour Chamber of Commerce’s Meet the Candidates evening at Nambour State College.

A television presenter and journalist, university lecturer, and patron of several community groups, Ms Natoli described herself as a high performer who was up for the mayor’s job.

She said she was “100% committed to open, transparent and accountable government”. 

“If there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to hide and you should be able to receive reports from council,” she said. 

“We want a council that does things for you, not to you.”

Ms Natoli said infrastructure on the Sunshine Coast was lagging and growth needed to be managed to protect lifestyles and the environment. She said hinterland residents were well aware of the region’s transport issues and suggested hop on and off buses, free to children and seniors.

Promising to get back to basics, she said she would look at increasing funding for rural roads, footpaths, kerbside clean-ups and tip vouchers. 

She was supportive of tiny homes in rural areas to help with the housing crisis, and also wants to look at housing density in Nambour to active the town’s CBD.

Ms Natoli said she wanted to see a function centre for the Nambour Showgrounds. “I’m calling for that to go back on the master plan after it was dumped in December. It was promised before I’m hoping we can get there again.” 

Ms Natoli’s husband, Joe, is running for re-election in division four.

“We don’t agree on everything. The local government department has confirmed it’s not a conflict of interest. It is not. I want to be a mayor for the people and working for you.”

Reader’s question on the hinterland’s fair share: 

Reader asked: Do you think the hinterland gets its fair share of Council funding compared to the Coast? If not, what would you do to change that?

Ms Natoli’s answer: 

People west of the Bruce Highway have been missing out on their fair share of funding and infrastructure – that’s the message residents have been telling me as I tour the region. Residents feel their parks, footpaths, roads, and general maintenance have not been kept up to acceptable levels. I believe that infrastructure charges, generated by a development, should be spent in that area and not be spent in other locations.  

While it is legislated that these funds be returned to a pool, it is up to Council to allocate this money to projects that would benefit the area from which it comes.  This is the fairest way to benefit the residents most impacted by a development in their surburbs. This is the only way we will be able to maintain the unique character of our Hinterland towns as we manage the growth coming our way.