Rockhampton voters will be rich with choice come January 23.

To help electors organise their preferences, we asked mayor hopefuls for a brief outline of their ideas and policies regarding 10 topics of interest.

Over the coming days, The Morning Bulletin will publish their answers.

Any excluded candidates did not respond in time for publication or chose not to comment on the issue at hand.

The second topic is the economy.

Russell Claus

– Increase focus on support for small business support and growth

– Develop revitalisation plans for the CBD, Musgrave Street and Gladstone Road (as first priorities, then moving onto other precincts).

– Engage local businesses and relevant stakeholders in regular two way dialogues to identify issues of concern and priority actions to address.

– Identify local investment opportunities to target business recruitment from outside, including expanded agriculture, value add to agriculture, rural businesses, the industrial areas (Gracemere needs better marketing).

Leyland Barnett

– Increase rates revenue by encouraging large industry, such as engineered wood products and tyre recycling into our region that will secure both direct jobs and indirect jobs that will increase demand for housing.

– Entice large investment into our region with incentives to setup, by freezing charges and helping with any compliance issues until the investment is operational.

– Develop a stronger budget by encouraging good productivity through developing better management skills and encouraging good Initiatives through bonuses that at the end will deliver a win/win situation for both employees and rate payers.

– Stop wasteful spending on projects that create problems in regards to costly maintenance procedures that increase the councils operational costs.

Shane Latcham

– Uncertain with COVID shutdowns possible.

– Need a business-friendly council.

– Focus on back-to-basics spending (waste, water & roads) and jobs and growth.

Christian Shepherd

– Address needlessly prohibitive red tape restricting business and industry including emerging small home businesses.

– Lower fees for all development applications and set moratorium on select residential subdivisions to boost housing growth.

– Lower rates, fees and water rates to leave more money in household budgets and local economy.

– Actively seek out developers and liaise with property owners to identify and facilitate residential, commercial and industrial development.

Remy McCamley

– Council should not cut spending, but most spending should stimulate economic progress: creating employment opportunities and sustainable population growth.

– Council should not sell revenue producing assets but should streamline business models to

increase revenue.

– Council needs to immediately engage and work with all local governments within Central

Queensland to create a unified tourism industry.

– Council should immediately obtain professional economic advice on how to attract new sustainable industry into the region and establish long-term job opportunities.

Donna Kirkland

– Rate freezes are not always the solution as they can come with social and

economic consequences.

– I believe the council needs to approach rates using responsible fiscal

management skills. This involves introducing more residents and businesses

to settle in our region.

Cherie Rutherford

– Invest in infrastructure, projects and initiatives that create local jobs, encourage development, attract new business and industry and inspire the expansion of existing sectors.

– Growth creates business, business creates jobs and jobs create growth.

Rob Crow

– Incentives for New Industry to the Region to bring more families and spend and increase Sports Tourism by encouraging more week long National and State championships.

– We need to continually boost our economy.

Christopher Davies

– Revitalise the Rockhampton CBD to enable easier accessibility and parking to help build

stronger business and help current declining business.

– Attract long term jobs in manufacturing and industry in our region.

– Support the Fitzroy Food Bowl’s growth and development.

– Strengthen the link between CQU and our regions businesses to secure new graduates.

John Rewald

– Carefully prepare a budget that is balanced and reduce spending, while

maintaining all jobs.

– Review ongoing costs and maintenance schedules and review-planned

upgrades for any utilities, as we expand for growth.

– Encourage people to move to Rockhampton to increase our rate base. More

rates equal more income.

– The old rule of make more or spend less needs to apply in making financial

decisions as we look for ways to create margin in these difficult times.

Brett Williams

– Better use of local business where possible.

– Talk to the Chamber of Commerce more.

Miranda Broadbent

– Enable and incentivise businesses with social impact focus.

– Develop tourism in the region.

– Engage with Australian Defence Force and international defence to create a permanent military base in the region.

– Grow international connection for business/industry with sister city in Japan.

Chris (Pineapple) Hooper

If the Rocky City Council sticks to a fossil fuel economy it will be in big trouble.

Nyree Johnson

– Invest Rockhampton Fund.

– New Economic Development Plan within 12 months.

– Annual ‘Rockhampton Week’ in Brisbane.

– Destination Rockhampton events and tourism fund set up and Museum of Central Queensland feasibility study.