- Sub Main Menu
- sunshine coast
- noosa
- coolum
- national
- world
Mostly cloudy min 18° - max 26° Natoli to run for mayor of new Coast council
10:23a.m. 30th November 2007
Maroochy mayor Joe Natoli has announced he will run for mayor of the Sunshine Coast's super council.
Mr Natoli called a media conference this morning at Buderim to declare he would mount a $100,000 campaign to win the top job at the March 2008 elections.
Mr Natoli's wife Rosanna, a newsreader at Seven Local News, will run his campaign.
Mr Natoli said he would seek about 300 volunteers to help him run the campaign and has ruled out accepting any donations from developers.
While Mr Natoli has been accused of being more pro-development than his Noosa counterpart Bob Abbot, he said critics should look at his environmental record in cleaning up the Maroochy River.
He gave a commitment that he would not seek to make Noosa or Caloundra the same as Maroochy in development terms, but instead recognise the special qualities of the different areas of the Coast.
Mr Natoli also called on possible mayoral contender Steve Dickson, the Member for Kawana, to put up or shut up over his intentions for the top job.
He said Mr Dickson had already caused one by-election by leaving the council job early to run for the Liberals in Kawana and should make his intentions known now.
Signalling the gloves are off, Mr Natoli said he believed Mr Dickson's son Christian, the councillor for the Sippy Downs area, would make a better a better mayor than his dad.
Mr Natoli said he would be urging people not to stand on a political or party platform for the new council.
Natoli outlines vision for the Sunshine Coast
Recent Comments
Perhaps those of us who live in the OLD Maroochy Shire Council region would prefer not to continue to be "same as Maroochy in development terms".
Hopefully, the Noosa way of doing things will spread across the whole of the Sunshine Coast after March '08.
I know I will do all I can to make it happen!
Jeff Watson
Councillor candidate Division 8 in '08
"it's where I live"
Hey Joe! You never know, we the people might decide we've got better things to do than vote to elect so-called super councillors for a mega local government that the state government offloaded on us.
Ever heard of a boycott? A lockout? A defenestration? (you better look it up!)
Hey Joe! Can you be in any way certain we the people will recognise the Sunshine Coast Council at all, let alone pay its rates and charges, let alone pay your wages and other allowances?
Hey Joe! You've got a big way to go before you make it to being the natural capitalist of this coast.
Hey Joe! How come Maroochy isn't having a plebiscite on amalgamation when both Caloundra and Noosa are? Could it be you don't want to be fronted by what your own backyard really thinks?
He was also relentless in his determination to take control of Noosa against the wishes of the vast majority of it's people. Why would he let go now that his dream has almost been fulfilled ?
At least we know what we will get with Joe. No consultation, drive his agenda down everyone else's throats and tell us all that it really will be the best thing for all of us to do as he says
Surely there must be a REAL alternative?
The walls haven’t even been cleaned from the last campaign mud fight, and Joe is straight into the gutter fighting. Joe has shown from his kick off that this will be a filthy Council Election Campaign.
Why couldn’t he have waited till after Christmas?
Will the Sunshine Coast Daily be allowing every mayoral candidate's spouse a column, or will you be putting Rosanna on hold for a few months?
P.Butterfield, Currimundi.
Ed: Now that Joe has declared he will be running for mayor of the new super council, we will be discontinuing Rosanna's column/blog.
Why is it that certain people with European Heritage love concrete everywhere?
Hopefully Bob Abbot or Don Aldous will be contenders for the top job in March, as they are both men who have proven leadership abilities.
I do not think their credibility can come into question.
AM
Buddina.
ps NO NO Natoli!!!
The past 3 councils are over and unless there is some immaculate intervention then the decision stands so let's move on. Now what do we want for our entire region?
Maroochydore needs careful planning to make the CBD right and continue with its clean up of the Maroochy River. To the north of the region continue with the low rise environmental development and management of areas such as Noosa, Sunshine Beach, Peregian, Tewantin, etc. To the south a decision needs to be made about the Caloundra airport, future types of development along the Pumistone Passage and other ocean front areas. In the hinterland and on the range we need to look at how to balance growth with a rural lifestyle.
Business needs to be attracted to the region to ensure there are jobs for our children. We need to ensure all the education promises by our newly elected government are followed through and installed. Sport and recreation facilities are on the improve in the region and support should be given to further growth in attracting national and international sports. This provides our local sporting talent with stepping stones for their future without having to leave the coast fulltime.
You see I want what is best for the Sunshine Coast and will vote for who ever can focus on the region and not egocentric people who cannot handle change. If someone cannot do this and resorts to taking their bat and ball and go home, then they are no better than kids fighting in the sand pit, currently known as the State Liberal party.
He said Mr Dickson had already caused one by-election by leaving the council job early to run for the Liberals in Kawana and should make his intentions known now.
Signalling the gloves are off, Mr Natoli said he believed Mr Dickson's son Christian, the councillor for the Sippy Downs area, would make a better a better mayor than his dad.”
Would be a fair enough sign that Mayor Natoli seems to want to get into the sandpit and fight and name call like the children you mentioned.
AM
Is that all we're each worth to you?
Hey Joe! Are you in an auction house bidding for our vote? Just what does the reserve price for getting elected to the Sunshine Coast Super Council really amount to?
Do I hear any higher bids before this local council clearance auction is passed in, under instruction from the real vendors and voters?
JBoast would like us all to accept what has happened and move on...but I think that March 08 is probably going to be a bit soon to expect that many of the people of the Sunshine Coast will forget the arrogant disregard with which they were treated by those people who professed to represent them just a few short weeks ago.
Any aspirant to the S/C Mayoralty should start with a little dose of reality relative to the fact that everyone on the entire Sunshine Coast will be voting for the Mayor. Obviously Joe Natoli would have done his numbers before announcing that he was committing $100,000 to his campaign.
I guess if you don't win the election Joe, you can always revert to your bull riding career.
Mayor Natoli’s rhetoric ignores, among many other contradictions, the 3.67 square kilometre industrial zone he pressed the state government to impose on the residents of rural Bridges, just outside the hinterland village of Yandina.
I have no problem if we shift it from Bridges - but which other 'hinterland village' do we put it beside? There is no suitable site closer to the coast - we have been looking for years! And it has to be close to a town to make use of existing infrastructure.
Bridges, with Caloundra South, remain the best sites from Caloundra to Noosa. We do need to have sites throughout the region. Those who pretend we can make do without are fooling themselves and misleading the community.
It is not a matter of short term planning but if one considers a 50 year plan, we just have to set aside suitable land now - even if we do not allow it to be used for some years. All governments at all levels have this same problem of 'intergenerational planning' for basic needs of a mature community.
Have your say
We welcome comments on our stories and blogs - after all it's your site. Please note comments should be on-topic and not abusive. Comments are checked before publication.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Your comments will be checked, for legal reasons, before being posted live.
Thanks again for contributing to the Daily's online community.
We value your views.
Comment again