In the lead-up to Saturday's council elections, the NewsMail asked the candidates three questions:

1 Name three issues, specific to your division, that you will aim to fix during your term if elected and how you will do so?

2 One consistent complaint from residents is that rates are too high. Do you agree that rates are too high? If yes, what policies will you try introduce to keep rates at an affordable level? In your opinion, what percentage increase is fair?

3 Finish this sentence. Vote for me on March 19 because...

TRACEY JACKSON

1  I'm walking all over the division putting flyers into letterboxes and saying hello to people. Some roads in Millbank and Avoca are terrible. They're awkward to walk on (no footpaths), especially at night with no lights. You've got to be careful where you park because of the size of the potholes between bitumen and gutters. Residents are angry work is done on roads in other divisions in much better condition. Repairs and maintenance should be prioritised based on need, not location.
 Residents don't feel heard and don't understand council's decision-making. I'll be active on social media, meet with constituents regularly each week and by appointment, do newsletters and attend Division 8 events.
 I've met with couples whose homes in Branyan and Millbank were flooded. They had no contact with the Council or SES. The people in Branyan were isolated for nearly 3 weeks, had to move to higher ground several times, had no way of contacting authorities and were starting to run out of water before help arrived. They're upset no flood mitigation works were done and they're not aware of anything having been done to ensure they'd be thought about if it floods again. I'll argue for flood management procedures and facilities to be put in place for all areas likely to be subject to flooding.

2 Rates are too high, especially with the reduction in services everyone's complaining about. It's impossible to say what increase would be fair, because the new council will inherit considerable debt, significant unfunded liabilities (reducing services even further to pay for Rubyanna and the Multiplex isn't acceptable) and business units whose budgets have been decimated. We need a review of council's financial sustainability (huge rate increases and reduced services aren't sustainable), structure, operations, assets and liabilities, so we can make informed decisions on what to do. We need a "back to basics", "no frills" approach. Feasiblity, affordability and financial impacts on ratepayers will be at the front of my mind when deciding on major Council projects. We must reduce waste - e.g. roadwork needing to be re-done shortly after completion. Work should be done once and done properly. If budgetary constraints mean we can only do a smaller section of road properly, that's better than doing a longer section and then having to repair it because it's deteriorated.

3 I'm a professional advocate, having been a lawyer for 26-plus years. I worked for 20-plus years as a Queensland public servant (primarily in Fair Trading, Crown Solicitor's Office and Mines and Energy) and for 18 months in a mining and infrastructure company. I've provided advice and assistance to clients all over Queensland, including ministers and senior management. I never put my name to something I haven't personally scrutinised, understood and agreed with. I've never been afraid to stand alone, to argue for a different approach to be taken or for changes to procedures or for more information to be gathered.

DAVID BATT

1 1 Implementation of the multi modal pathway strategy - to get more pathways throughout the division and the region over the next 4 years by reprioritising some of the budget to footpaths from other budget areas.
2 As a result of community feedback I will continue to prioritise in the next term of council - open and accountable decision making of council, open communication of council with the community and inviting community participation as much as possible.
3 Better maintenance of council's drains has been a big topic that the community is asking for and which I will continue to advocate for next term. This is something that needs a higher priority in the upcoming budget deliberations and can be achieved with a reprioritisation of the budget.

2 The question shouldn't be whether the rates are too high or not because on average Bundaberg's rates are less than many similar size councils, it's the ability of the ratepayer to pay the rates. How affordable are the rates is the real question and Bundaberg ratepayers have a lower than average capacity to pay. We need to think strategically on how to reduce costs as ratepayers don't have the capacity to absorb large increases in any service charges. There is no set increase that is fair but there is a "local government index" that is put out each year and any increase should be in line with that.

3 I have proven my leadership skills over the last 8 years as a councillor. I have local knowledge being born and bred in Bundaberg and have shown a consistent and consultative approach to solving local issues and will continue to be a strong voice to advocate for the needs of Division 8 residents. Accountability and integrity are at the forefront of all my decision making and I will continue to listen to the community's needs and respond appropriately.