Division 4 Candidate - Wayne Gattera

I have lived in the region all my life and was educated at the East Palmerston Primary School and Good Counsel College. After school I attended James Cook University, Cairns Campus, completing a Batchelor of Arts degree with majors in Economics and Australian Political Science.

On graduating I returned to the family farm where I gained vast business experience in sugar farming, beef cattle production and banana growing. During the past 10 years I have put my business and industry experience into practice by serving on a number of boards and committees. I am currently a director of Canegrowers Innisfail, a director of Innisfail/Babinda Cane Productivity Services and a community representative on Johnstone Shire Councils Pest Management Committee. Also as part of my Canegrower organisation responsibility I am a member of the team negotiating cane supply agreements with Bundaberg Sugar Limited, which have a significant impact on the livelihood of more then 300 cane growers. This previous experience has meant that I feel confident in my ability to get the best result for the people of the Cassowary coast region.

My policies are as follows:

• Support a plan to set aside funds for future infrastructure developments such as roads, bridges, sewerage and water. This plan must include state government assistance, which I will work with them to achieve.

• Have council work with local tourism operators to develop a "Blueprint" for a strategic promotional campaign that will aim to get more tourist dollars into the area.

• Implement a plan where rates can be stabilised, and council services improved. We can not have rates continually rising by large amounts while services decline. We need better "Bang for our buck" and this can only be achieved through better management.

• Make it a priority to attract new business enterprises to be set up in the region and for new industries to be established, this will create more jobs. For this region to continue its economic growth we need more jobs for both locals and new people moving into the area.

• Promote sustainable development throughout the region. Future developments must take into account the possible economic and environmental impacts of the development. We need more people to move to the region as long as we allow this in a sustainable way, not having impacts on local lifestyle, infrastructure and environment. Development is good as long as a balanced approach is taken.

Support agriculture in the region by promoting the use of ethanol in partnership with the sugar industry, oppose banana imports and implement a plan to control feral animals and weeds.

• Work with the state government to increase funding for community services in the region. We need to have better facilities for the elderly and better health services for all of the community.

• We must recognise the need to protect our region's environment. Feral animals such as wild pigs destroy the "ground floor" of our rainforest and wild dogs attack and kill cassowaries and other native species. As well as this we need to look at the big picture environmentally. One way would be to work towards a plan to make the new regional council Carbon Neutral as soon as practicable. I am a supporter of the concept of John Dee the founder of Planet Arc that even small steps made by organizations and individuals to reduce carbon emissions can make a big difference.

I have many other policies and ideas to help the new Cassowary Coast Regional Council to be a success for the community. Too many to mention all at once, but I will continue to advertise these in the local media. In closing let me say I am passionate about the region and if elected to council I will be a team player who will work hard for YOU.

Last Updated: 20th February 2008