12:00a.m. 9th March 2008

| By Alan Lander

Campaign costs for the Sunshine Coast’s mayoral candidates are heading towards pre-election estimates of over $100,000.

But a $50,000 donation to Joe Natoli has helped his cause considerably.

Both Mr Natoli and rival Bob Abbot say they have had to dig deep to run their campaigns – and they will both be having deep and meaningful discussions with their bank managers after the campaign is over.

Mr Abbot conceded he would be as “hocked up” as many other candidates once the campaign bills started flowing in, but he had limited his spending because of a lack of funds.

“We could spend much more than $120,000 but we haven’t got that much,” he said.

“There is no extra money to spend.”

He said the campaign advertising had been “locked in” early on.

“But we are spending every last cent,” Mr Abbot said.

“I’d say I will be borrowing money after this event is over to finish paying the bills.”

Mr Natoli is in better financial health having received a $50,000 donation from an old Melbourne business friend, Rod Menzies, with whom he has dealt art.

The Menzies group of companies is worth $350 million, and the donation was made on the day Mr Abbot announced his candidacy, Mr Natoli said.

“I will have sufficient funds until the end of the week,” he said, but was unable to put a figure on total funds raised.

“I have left Rosanna (Mrs Natoli) to handle that.”

Mr Natoli said Mr Abbot had received funding from the Friends of Noosa group, and the “elite” Noosa community held a $250-a-head fundraiser at Berardos restaurant – and he had wanted to match that.

“He likes to be seen with Pat Rafter and other people, who do not reflect the rest of the Coast,” he said.

“I launched more of a grassroots campaign.”