Former councillor calls for 'greater transparency' as she announces plan to run for mayor

A former Noosa councillor has announced she will be a candidate for mayor at the March local government elections.

In a media release, Ingrid Jackson said that as a councillor she successfully advocated for greater openness and transparency in Noosa Council.

“It is imperative that the community knows what councillors are doing,” she said.

“If elected, I want our council to achieve even greater transparency.”

Ms Jackson said there was a crucial need to improve the behaviour of some councillors, including stamping out “intimidation and disruption”.

“I will take whatever steps are required to ensure there is respect in our community leadership,” she said.

Ms Jackson said these matters, as well as policies to improve the council’s performance, would be canvassed further in her election campaign.

“Policies I’m releasing will advance important matters like traffic, housing, health, local business and jobs, the river and the biosphere,” she said.

“I greatly value the vision of the Noosa Plan and the intent of the Noosa Biosphere.

“The council needs to give more attention to them because, if taken seriously, they will guide the growth of a resilient community and a thriving economy working in harmony with Noosa’s greatest asset, its natural environment.”

Ms Jackson said it concerned her that plans to advance traffic, health, housing, transport, cycling and more were “sitting silent in computers taking up memory”.

“I will be an active mayor who gets things done and who talks about the hard stuff as well as the good stuff,” she said.

After a career in management, and later establishing her own management consultancy in Sydney, Ms Jackson said she would bring capability and knowledge to the role of mayor.

“I believe my career experience and four years as a Noosa councillor have prepared me for the role, although I have no illusions about the complexity and difficulty,” she said.

Ms Jackson has been the secretary of Noosa Chamber of Commerce and a vice-president of Tewantin-Noosa CWA. In previous years she was honorary secretary of the Noosa Parks Association.

Her website is www.ingridourmayor.com.

Other candidates to replace Clare Stewart as Noosa’s mayor include Nick Hluszko, John Morrall and current deputy mayor Frank Wilkie.