Karen Williams has announced that she will contest the local government elections on 28 March, in a bid to have four more years as Mayor of Redland City.
She has been Mayor for nearly eight years.
What has she actually done (and not done) in her time as Mayor of Redland City?
How well has she kept her previous election promises and pledges (detailed below)?
Has Karen Williams performed well as Mayor?
Here’s an opportunity to have your say about how well Karen Williams has performed as Mayor.
We have kept this very simple – has she performed well as Redlands Mayor: Yes or No?
| [yop_poll id=”1″] |
This opinion poll’s results will be published by the end of February.
Karen Williams first elected Mayor in 2012
Karen Williams was elected as the Division 9 Councillor in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.
After two terms as a divisional councillor, Cr Williams campaigned for the Mayor’s job in 2012 and defeated incumbent Mayor Melva Hobson : 69.51% to 30.49%.
In 2016 Mayor Williams was re-elected, defeating Mr Greg Underwood: 55.94% to 44.06%.
Achievements claimed by Karen Williams
Mayor Williams says that innovation, as well as jobs and infrastructure, had been among her council’s top achievements. For examples of innovation she cited:
- Karragarra’s self-driving vehicle trial
- A Cleveland road surfaced with recycled plastics
- Hydrogen projects at the State Government’s Redlands Research Facility.
Karen Williams’ third term agenda
Items on Williams’ agenda for a third term include:
- A new multi-million dollar sports complex on the way and another 10 hectares of parks
- A white-water rafting, adventure sports and emergency services precinct being looked at
- A possible regional Olympics bid
2016 election promises
In her 2016 election campaign, Karen Williams made many election promises including:
- Implement a free City circle mini-bus
- Deliver international Surf Life Saving HQ & new community pool
- Fix Cleveland-Redland Bay Road
- Progress purchase of land as incentive for Redlands university
- Build more boat ramps
- Increase pensioner discounts
- Create more local jobs
- Keep tips free
- Seal all dirt roads
- Keep rate rises low
How well has Mayor Williams performed in delivering these 2016 election commitments?
Competition in the 2020 Mayoral election
Two other candidates for Redlands Mayor in the March 2020 elections will be:
- Claire Richardson – scientist and businesswoman
- David Curtin – Head of Keep Queensland Beautiful
Nominations for the 2020 local government elections close on 3 March 2020.
Redlands2030 – 12 February 2020
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
At 7am this morning I placed a post on the Redland City Bulletin (RCB) fb site, criticising the poor performance of the Redland City Council over the last 4 years and that of Mayor Williams in particular. By mid morning that post had been removed, indicating that the RCB is used as a marketing tool by the current Mayor. In the lead-up to the 2016 council election the current Mayor placed a list of six items she would strive to achieve, including the easing of traffic congestion and better discounts for pensioners. In 2020 traffic congestion is markedly worse and pensioners are worse off than in 2016. In fact every pensioner, whether they visit the Redlands Tip or not, is charged a $30 fee on their rates notices, according to three of her fellow councillors. Every rates notice has the $30 tip charge so the last of her six items, to make the tip free, is not true. We need a new mayor and a new direction, which does not include inappropriate commercial developments such as the Toondah Proposal.
More ‘pie in the sky’ promises coming out of the Williams camp. I would like to see Karen try to defend the non-action on the promises from last election. That, plus the monstrosity of the planned Toondah Harbour development make me wonder why she is wasting her time and money running this time.
As much as I agree with all the sentiments stated in other statements, I am not so convinced that Mayor Williams has no chance of winning. Unfortunately, all the views expressed here are only viewed by fellow Redlands2030 members.
It is imperative that the wider community is educated on the reality of Williams’ history. Many people simply don’t know or don’t think deeply enough to form an opinion either way.
As I said in an earlier comment, please submit your ideas and opinions to a wider forum, ie Redland City Bulletin (if they will print it) to inform a wider audience before the election.
Unlike what the media almost Australia wide likes to claim they are not their
for the public’s benefit. The RCB, is a business and as such they aren’t going to risk vexatious law suit from our ‘Princess’ or her insatiably exorbitant pro ravenous feral pets… It has no interest in biting the hands that feed them.
They are in some ways like the Chinese Ambassador on Q&A there to spruik
their master’s wishes i.e. show a constant profit at the pains of ‘consequences’.
Therefore they (media) have come up with the false logic of balance and it’s illegitimate child “all opinions are equal and should be heard”
In their universe Truth is relative (except where the opinion/truth might cause them financial discomfort). The problem is how to provide the unaware public of the “inconvenient OBJECTIVE / in context Truth” Not just some “Attention Grabbing Salacious” Superficial click bait of a headline followed by myopically emotive highly debatable ‘reporting’
This is the playground of big corporations and the media… including social media.
Our somewhat unbeloved mayor and her acolytes are versed in this form of manipulation. See google ‘Redlands 2030’ most are council fluff. This council can’t see beyond the Election much less to 2030!
Frankly CARP 2 with a different ‘leader’ is overdue.
Oh yes I would suggest sending a message to RCB… post or drop off all your the Non helpful pages of the RCB to their offices. In protest! Adding a comment of ” when are we going to get a news paper instead of junk mail?”
I am not happy about the performance of Karen Williams as mayor and I am not happy with the secrecy of the decision process of Redland City.
There has been little or no action taken to help businesses in Cleveland to prosper and a walk around the central business shows many empty shops and no real signs that this area will continue to thrive.
Any large new development at Toondah which included a new shopping centre would exacerbate these problems and leave many empty buildings.
Toondah Harbour should be left as a ferry terminal and under no circumstances should any development include any dredging of any part of Moreton Bay. Those wetlands are precious and once touched are lost forever.
The new building which has just commenced construction behind Woolworths will hurt Cleveland because it will further reduce much needed parking spaces.
We need a council with plans and actions to renew Cleveland and bring vitality back.
Most of all we need good honest leadership and open discussion on traffic and development planning.
Don Nixon
Karen Williams promised that she would take action to reduce traffic congestion in the lead up to the 2016 election. It was the main area of concern for Redland residents according to the Redlands City Bulletin and the mayor, Karen Williams said that she was listening to the residents of Redlands City.
Four years have past and nothing has been done to meaningfully reduce traffic congestion in Redlands City. However, council has approved developments that will add to traffic congestion in the city. Consider Shorelines (an estimated 10 000 residents) at Serpentine Creek at the southern boundary of Redland City. Developments at Thornlands along the Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd (Waterline, Esperance, as well as the housing estate on Boundary Rd up from the roundabout near Eprapah) have been built adding to the traffic congestion on the Cleveland Redland Bay Rd. Council has approved the development of Toondah Harbour with an estimated 10 000 residents. The mayor has shown repeatedly that she does not listen to the residents, whether it be over Toondah Harbour, traffic congestion, using the 2030 Community plan as a guide for how to develop the Redlands.
So I can see increases in number of residents and their vehicles but no infrastructure to deal with the increased traffic congestion. Is this what the mayor calls listening to the residents of Redlands City?
What she is doing to Toondah Harbour is shameful. We need a new ferry terminal. The park and
foreshore should be left as it is. The amount of units in Cleveland is ruining a beautiful area.
Has she met any of her targets from her 2016 election promises, I think not!
the mayor and council members have allowed the bush land for koala’s to taken over for more housing. Also they have not considered senors who hire the council halls for use as most of the people are on pensions so i feel that the halls should be of now charge as they should be used for the locals of the area who pay rates to the council.
Sadly I am a person approaches electoral decisions on the basis of seeking the most appropriate person for the position….who would be best in that position for the City, state, country (not necessarily in that order). In functional terms I seek all the information I can as if I were interviewing for a senior position in an organisation I have an interest in.
I DON’T focus on Likeability, or how I can identify with them as people (We are paying them to do a job not be part of our social circle etc).
e.g Years ago I infrequently drank at the same pub as and had the odd conversation with Bob Hawk before he went into politics. My personal opinion of him didn’t include wanting to be his mate. However, in the I Supported many of his policies. Not because of his Party affiliation, Later even supported Howard’s policies once in his early years as PM
When Cr Williams first come on the scene I did the usual due diligence . In her first campaign she stated as her greatest achievement then was A country Singing tour of New Zealand. and was a Qualified Kindy teacher. There is nothing wrong with either per se but the skill set for the position she was seeking and its purpose are very different. That means she hand no large organisation oversight, real representative, big business, environmental experience or appropriate qualifications
Her career as a councillor and part of the infamous Secombe Six (her voting record in the minutes confirms that) could be summed up as “ following the leader”. Her clear naivety and lack of appropriate knowledge and subsequent miss steps were in some cases embarrassing from being able to see bacteria in a dam to moving a rent paying telecom tower from council land to a family farm ( for safety reasons [sic]). Effectively paying an apprentice a lucrative wages! Where else does that happen but with elected representatives.
To be fair she’s obviously a good politician but is that what we NEED?
All her achievements (?) are that of a politician tokens to placate the voters into giving her another term. Not where I’m sitting.
We need Someone who has real contact with their electors and are able tell the representative what the electorate wants/needs for them to then advocates that in the various chambers and other places.
NOT follow their own personal (unknown to the people they claim to REPRESENT ) beliefs . They are there for our benefit not their own. If they can’t do that then elected representation isn’t where they should be. Realistically Elected Representation shouldn’t be a long term career but a limited one.
e.g. Andris Lamming’s support for RU486 being banned because of his personal prejudice especially when 80%+ were in favour of it.
To do that they need to be accessible/ receptive to all the people. There are few councillors who actually do that.
The mayor does ‘royal’ visits to groups but most of the public don’t belong to groups as such.
The current mayor has shown herself to be lacking business acumen in signing the clause she did with Walker Corp ( I too have heard disquiet about it from other sources). There are lots of developers out there and many who may have offered a BETTER solution without that clause. And if not ….Plan B rethink the solution. A career dealing with developers, big business etc has taught me there are always other options.
It is also clear she didn’t consider all the relevant issues as a competent leader would have before agreeing to go further.
A real Leader would have a Strategic plan with milestones key timings etc not just a wish list to get elected. No one can lead without a plan … with both a destination and how to get there.
As the mayor it is her responsibility to lead and that means considering all issues not just how to assure her ‘legacy’ on her way to State Representative.
The council officers are there to advise on the legality etc not do the jobs of the elected representatives and the supposed leader.
In short (and this is my opinion) she is a politician (a manipulator of image, facts) largely for personal gratification not the long term benefit of the city/ the residents who vote.
We need more transparency on projects and distribution of funds to each division.
Let the divisions tell the representative what priorities they want. Rather than the other way around. The final duty of a mayor or councillor is to inform the public of what is going why and why not instead of secrecy and meaningless “ gee what a good representative am I” glossy 2n pager with set up pics.
How about the issue that are current?
It’s difficult to know where to begin. The majority of our elected politicians – at Federal, State, and Local Council levels – seem determined to ignore that ‘climate change’ and related ‘global warming’ exists. Even if they reluctantly concede it does, their response is mostly that of ‘Do nothing until a disaster happens’, pat themselves on the back for their response to the calamity, and then tell us numerous times that such an adept response on their part proves beyond doubt there is no need for you or I to be alarmed about anything at all.
The more notable achievements of this non-policy are that as a nation we have successfully achieved: near extinction of the koala and the platypus, reduced the Great Barrier Reef to a shadow of its former glory, and are well on the way to depleting and/or polluting the aquifers that provide a significant portion of the drinking water supply for Adelaide and Sydney. A similar situation is now playing out locally on North Stradbroke Island.
In sharp contrast, Perth’s drinking water supplies are temporarily safe, thanks to major investment some years ago in the use of groundwater replenishment (pumping treated waste water back into aquifers) and construction of two desalination plants which together now contribute around 50% of supply.
Admittedly, Perth had motivation to do something. 30 years or so prior, water supply from dams accounted for nearly all of Perth’s water supply but by 2016 Perth dams only provided 7% of their needs. Perth could see what was coming and so began ‘actually doing something’ far earlier, completing their first desalination plant in 2006 and the second in 2012.
Out of all the issues facing the Redlands, the Toondah development seems to have the most potential to become calamitous in the future. We don’t know the exact numbers but when completed, some additional 5000-10000 people will likely be living at or near sea level, adjacent to the existing Raby Bay canal development. An example of what can happen to such developments is Stockton Beach, near Newcastle
Repeating last year, extreme weather events at Stockton have again caused devastating erosion along the foreshore with some houses having to be abandoned altogether. At time of writing, residents are now awaiting cyclonic swells, and Newcastle’s Lord Mayor has asked the NSW Government to declare a natural disaster.
On re-election of Mayor Williams in 2016, no one my end of town in Capalaba, knew, if anyone, was aiming to unseat sitting Mayor. Residents at Wellington Manor, Birkdale, wanted to know who else was running so arrangements were made to meet Greg Underwood at a home in Thorneside, at which Cr Paul Bishop was present. This meeting would have led to this candidate receiving many votes, but unfortunately, all signs throughout Capalaba, Birkdale, & Wellington Pt were missing. Informed one of Greg’s, nailed to a tree on Ney Rd Capalaba was found in pieces in the a.m. on the ground. Only signs visible on Mt Cotton & Old Cleveland Rd E were one of Cr Paul Gleeson, other outside CapellaBay Aged Care home, who complained about mayor’s sign blocking view of oncoming traffic from Birkdale where road crashes in the past have occurred…one since last election. Signs were of double portraits atop a raised platform set up on a 4-wheeled contraption….dangerous in today’s fast flowing heavy traffic where we have seen road trauma and deaths, another outside Cosco’s intersection on Old Cleveland Rd few days ago where two ambulances were present, fire trucks, police directing traffic. We will be seeing more deaths particularly on Finucane Rd by Willard Rd turnaround due to congestion and lack of a police presence. My understanding is Member for Bowman Andrew Laming is supporting Rowanne MacKenzie to replace Cr Murray Elliott of Alexandra Hills, and Allison Wicks, involved with Capalaba Community Centre, promoted by Member for Bowman Andrew Laming, by way of a survey in which he has photo of Ms Wicks in a frame, stating it’s a Capalaba Electorate Survey along with a Homelessness Survey. How would this fit in with taking care of community issues of importance in our Div 9 electorate that has been seriously neglected for many years….beginning with local parks…one of which Mayor saw fit to deprive local families of using… preferring to have two trucks deliver a caravan/demountable middle of night onto perimeter of Charles Winter Memorial Park….affixing a Boystown sign on front. When no longer in use, no activity on park grounds, for six months, local families called Cr Gleeson to request returning park to families, but their calls were ignored…including letters to the Council with replies from spin doctors.. Mayor Williams has plans unknown to locals as to how this park will be used in future. .,,,without community’s right to know.
LNP Prime Minister ScoMo on election day stated: “Anyone who wants to have a go, should be able to have a FAIR go…but Member for Bowman, with his interference in a local government election, doesn’t believe so, or he wouldn’t take the trouble to use his power to promote/assist candidates of his choice in the local government election March 28th 2020.
It is to be hoped that we don’t need to read again in the Courier Mail after the election, comments by Prof Paul Williams, of Griffith University, who writes on political issues, that Redlands was the dirtiest and grubbiest campaign he has ever seen…..due to sign stealing.
This mayor has continued as she began as a rookie Councillor, part of a “Development at any cost” mind set council power group. She was and is a product of her upbringing and no APPROPRIATE education in large scale executive policy making, the consequences therein, executive oversight, complex strategic planing, advanced root cause objective analysis or current ORDINARY day to day issues. Her 15 years experience can be summed up as her first 4 years X 11 more of the same.
She is steeped in and possesses an obsolete/ outdated understanding of what the Redlands , as a URBAN/Residential City NEEDS from it’s Elected officials. She and many councillors still believe/rely on their limited ([in comparison with the total population) circles echo chambers of close associates, friends, family and those who stand to gain, are representative of the wider public, they simply AREN’T. The once influential landowners, now rich are in fact a minority and just another pressure group with disproportional power and clinging to that past paradigm.
The disturbing notion that all it needs is a pile of ‘ targeted goodies’ designed to sway voters in selected divisions merely divides the communities along pockets of perceived and real inequalities is manifestly inappropriate ( see reallocation of funds to a significant minority in the Mayoral Team member’s division) months before an election. It maybe valid but their REFUSAL to disclose what the money was originally “ear marked”, begs the conclusion that some other less electorally sensitive group of residents might then vote against the Mayor en mass. Or The disclosure would weaken her hold on their votes
The evidence for her inappropriateness in the position is in the number of decisions/ projects she has championed either actively or by allowing too much sway by developers generally:-
Both TOONDAH harbour and Weinam Creek developments. Both ignore the climate warning science as shown by current now obvious realities. They include higher tides, rising sea levels erosion, Ignoring RAMSAR listed wetlands. And the availability of insurance from a loss sensitive Insurance industry. Not to mention the schmozel regarding the latter. None of the plans release even address any of the above. An experienced Exec would known this and taken corrective action on behalf of the City.
Then “freeing up” of Environmental land ( koala and even more unique and VITAL species.
And yes, where is her plan for Bushfire mitigation? Do we need a catastrophic fire here before she acts?
How about drinking water into the future ( see the article on the aquifer and my comments).
In addition, this mayor’s led council has no real Strategic planning for balancing out the infrastructure needed to address the current needs and demands, much less those, that these developments WILL INEVITABLY bring. Many of these issues may rest with other jurisdictions but DOSEN’T mean she shouldn’t be allowing/ planning for their lobbing processes and lobbying now for solutions.
In simple analogy it’s like building a house in the bush and ignoring how you are going to pay for or implement power, water sewerage etc. A a relevant old truism goes “Failing to plan adequately is adequately planning to fail.”
Simply changing the name of the city and advertising to the locals won’t increase jobs that locals can actually get and do. She shows no inkling of:-
what all these people will do for jobs ,
youth entertainment,
potential drug problems/ crimes.
And they are just some of the issues that need to be strategically planned for in assessing estates development on the current scale.
Marketing also dictates that we need something different to sell if we are to stand out from the deafening Advertising Noise. The mayor should be encouraging the council to think out of the box, novel solutions but what did we get …. well you can fill that in .
Likewise grandstanding announcement like the Hydrogen is at best a small step but what are the down sides. One being that this may quickly become obsolete, newer scientific prospects for powering vehicles etc that are less volatile, polluting and way more efficient afoot. Battery technology and technology is far from standing still.
What we NEED is people with appropriate professional skills. Not ordinary wannabes, egotists and those with an entitled attitude.
“A steady pair of hands”as the mayor is proposing is a bit like getting your grand dad (X farmer/ carpenter) to steer an Ocean Super Liner though Cyclone conditions with no more than “ she’ll be right I have lots of tinny experience in the bay” or “ Good luck Don’t die” attitudes!
It is sad that we are in the position of having to vote for Anybody BUT more of the same lack lustre vision and totally inappropriate rate skill set. What we need is a appropriately skilled educated Mayor and Councillors who listen widely to their constituents NOT wannabe Politicians in echo chambers of self interest.
Who remembers Chef’s Inc?
Set up in a Council carpark to compete with established local businesses.
Only open at peak trading times and parasitising the already limited parking at the Harbour.
Karen Williams has let developers into Redlands willynilly building new houses and Unit blocks all over the area so we are now getting overcrowded because there has been no new infrastructure built and the number of cars on the roads have increased exponentially. The traffic at peak times has become unbearable and the parking at the shopping centres has become impossible. There are no Park and Ride areas for buses at Victoria Point consequently the shopping centres carry the burden and cars parked on streets everywhere has become a safety issue.
The mayor said she would keep rates low. We are one of the highest in Qld.
The Mayor said she would fix Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd. The congestion is even worse and it’s still broken
The Mayor said she will build more boat ramps. There are no new ramps and they’re just as congested at peak times as what Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd is.
The Mayor said she would deliver a new community pool and head quarters for Surf life saving. The existing pool is falling apart tile by tile and the facilities 3rd rate
The Mayor said she would revitalise the CBD of Cleveland. There are even more empty shops.
The Mayor said she’d keep the tip free meanwhile commercial operators are so heavily charged they go to Mt Cotton to dump their green waste
The Mayor said she would create more local jobs. Unfortunately her preferred developers use contractors from outside of the Redlands and 70% of the people are employed outside of the Redlands.
The Mayor said she would increase pensioner discounts. She has done this by increasing the rates for everyone else
The Mayor has given lip service to purchasing land for University and she has given lip service to the white water rafting, adventure and emergency services precinct
The Mayor is on board with the Olympics but unless she can guarantee events will be held in the Redlands she should not spend our money
What has the Mayor done
Make it easy for developers like Ausbuild to create future slums
Voted for the Shoreline proposal.
Please save the Redlands before she sells it out from underneath us
Plus I forgot the big one. Is currently overseeing destruction of Ramsar listed wetlands by building a 3600 unit complex out into the bay. We need Operation Belcarra to have a decent look at the dealings of the RCC and the Walker Group
I commend everyone on their dedication to the betterment of the Redlands and awareness of Karen Williams, as Mayor, and her team as non-deliverers of election promises. However, I would encourage all contributors to write their respective thoughts published here to the Letters to the Editor of Redland City Bulletin so that more exposure of the lack of community commitment by this Council can be shared with the larger community.
Many citizens still are not aware of all that is going on and need to have information opposing the sanitized versions being published supporting Karen Williams in the local newspaper.
I noted several photos in last week’s edition featuring Ms Williams with various award recipients. My first reaction to these was “Guess an election is looming”!
We need to get our message out Loud and Clear to give the voters an opportunity to make considered choices at the ballot box.
“sanitized versions being published ”
This paper rarely takes a position on anything not wanting to alienate its advertisers and I don’t think Redland Times publishes letters from readers anyway. candidates. The paper could help by publishing the election platform provided by EACH candidate[if they actually have one ?] well in advance and could research and do a profile on them as well. No bias here if all done fairly but valuable to the public. Too often we find out about people AFTER they get elected !!! If Williams has done such a bad job we must remember it has been with the support of incumbent councillors so need to scrutinise anyone standing, new or otherwise.
oh dear,
Asking me about Karen Williams as mayor is like giving a box of chocolate and copious red cordial to excitable child . I find it difficult to keep a straight face.
From her time as a rookie councillor and her fanciful speech as to why they had to develop the land next to the old Indigiscapes protocol stopped me from calling it scientific rubbish. The same place that her team member has voted against it’s recent upgrade and she was coincidently absent (Hmm?).
To me this sums up her entire council career inept, badly informed, often scientifically myopic if not wrong. One only needs to look at Toondah harbour development, and the Wynum Bay fiasco to see her ineptitude Both are arguably environmental vandalism favouring RAMSAR wetland , denial of the consequences 10-20 years along . See projected inundation maps of scientific proven AGW, rises in sea levels, wild weather high tides and then there is coastal erosion. Has she forgotten the high tide at Point OHalleran a few years ago where the sea then rose up over the sea wall and created with moored boats , erosion , sand and water.
She is ignoring the sinking of the land at Raby bay and the horrendous cost to dredge the canals.
I remember reading when Toondah development was mooted , how marina development In other than ( AGW denial Queensland ) have all but stopped. Insurance companies have been warning and tightening up on insurance polices for homes/ construction in the projected flood or inundation risk areas.
When the water and heightened wind damage comes and it will, who is going to pay? In the light of this how is Madam Mayor looking after the future of the Redlands.
Now we need to look at her very obvious rush to Develop on a wider scale without a strategic plan one that set limits, priories, timings. And how readily she acquiesces to the whims of developers? To be fair it’s not their responsibility to secure the future just develop, make a profit and move on. Anybody who bought in Raby bay canals or on the islands know how well that modis operandi works for the residents in the long run.
Let’s not forget these development will COST the City a lot.
Likewise this council has no strategic plan with (timings milestones etc) how to deal with the extra traffic congestion, infrastructure demands Child minding centres/kindies/ schools/hospital access ( that is already stretched to breaking point.) police, other services, extra pollution, parking around shopping precincts and the list goes on an on.
Now the mayor is bleating about negative press on her councils plan to protect Koala Land.
As I opened with this Mayor and her team aren’t environmentally grounded. the key to that is in their pasts and relations and relationship. Sure there have been no blatant legal breaches in this generation. However, there is the highly suspicious re- allocation of funds to a division that is held by a member of her team ( as defined by the bill board on Redland Bay corner with German Church road during the last election just bearing the mayor, Div5 & 6 candidates).
This mayor does what all Public officials do when reputations are threatened they hide behind expensive legal action paid for by the RATE PAYERS. or involve a developer with deep pockets in A tactic I’ve seen before to avoid unflattering revelations before the election.
Now if we actually take a look at her claims and ask the obvious question what percentage of the entire city’s residents are going to benefit then ask about the disparity in council based services over the city.
We’ve changed the city’s name finally removing that pesky Koala as both iconic symbol and in reality into….. a developer’s paradise.
In shot this mayor is what she is a Kindy teacher by training with a myopic focus on symptom or tokenism grandstanding but precious little expertise in the way of long term vision which is sadly wanting in the Redlands. To me her legacy as Mayor totals up as ” Thanks for nothing ” or “Williams Was a Waste ”
Hopefully she’ll be gone and the City can finally more on to greater things.
I voted for Mayor Williams in 2012 on condition that she got rid of the then CEO, Gary Stevenson, as soon as his contract expired. He was highly incompetent, especially in relation to the servicing of the sewage pump stations in Victoria Point and Capalaba. She kept her word so I voted for her again in 2016, not realising that she was heavily favouring certain developers in the Redlands, including Walker Corporation P/L. They had proposed an inappropriate commercial development for Toondah Harbour, which involved the dredging of 100 acres of the Ramsar protected wetland. Three artist’s impressions of the proposed development were published between 2016 and 2019 in the Redland City Bulletin and all gave false impressions. Would you believe that Mayor Williams convinced most of her fellow councillors to sign a binding agreement with Walker Corporation, which according to Cr Golle could bankrupt the Council if they try to pull out of it? This huge expense would be borne by the residents of the Redlands and now we read that the Mayor is trying her luck for a 3rd term as Mayor. At least 80% of the residents are not happy with the decisions of the Redland City Council under Mayor Williams.
No mention of the $600,000 Kayak pontoon.
Is that just too embarrassing?
https://www.redlandcitybulletin.com.au/story/5675194/kayak-and-canoe-pontoon-opens/
If only 3 achievements by the Mayor are to be lauded, its a pretty sad record. The first has only just been initiated, the second involved ONE road and the Hydrogen projects are State Government initiatives NOT Redland City Council.
What a joke! Can we really survive another term with Williams at the helm?
Well, the tips are Free still, so that’s one promise out of the eight above promises. In the meantime, traffic is worse than ever, thanks to the increasing population crammed into tiny blocks, all approved by the Mayor and her “team”. We now have the Toondah abomination foisted onto us by the Mayor, Shoreline, decided on the Mayor’s vote ” in the public interest”, Cleveland business is dying and we have all the future slums in creation! Wildlife decimated by develop at any price, bush habitats razed to enable developments and now the Mayor is “concerned for koalas”. Must be an election soon! Bring it on!!!!!!