It’s an easy sentence to finish when you’re chatting with friends. Fix that road. Build that facility. Spend less here. Do more there.
No I’m not putting my hand up! I appreciate the work Mayor George Seymour does and the connection he has with our community. But planning for our region’s future is a conversation for all of us and one that needs to look beyond any individual mayor or council term.
So if you could put one priority at the top of the list, what would it be?
For me, it would be helping young people see a future here.
I want my children to have choices. They might leave to study, travel or pursue a career. I’d love them to have those experiences. But I’d also love coming home to be a realistic option as it was for me.
Living in Brisbane gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and see things differently, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get homesick. Being away made me appreciate just how good we had it here. The commute certainly helped that realisation! After moving further out for cheaper rent, getting from Capalaba to university in the city sometimes meant a 90 minute drive. Then came finding a park, paying for it and weighing up whether a quicker trip was worth the tolls.
Coming home and starting a family on the Fraser Coast reminded me how much there is to appreciate. Shorter trips, a relaxed lifestyle and a community you feel part of.
But loving a place and being able to build a life there are two different things. You need opportunities to work and somewhere you can afford to live.
That’s where I’d start. Housing choice.
Does everyone starting out need or want a four bedroom, two bathroom house?
An apprentice, a single professional, a young couple and a family with three children have different needs and budgets.
Think of a doctor moving here on their own to work at the hospital. They might prefer a new, modern one bedroom unit nearby and there’s nothing wrong with that. A family might need three or four bedrooms. If the newer homes available are mostly larger houses, both households could end up competing for the same properties despite having different needs.
I’d like to see a wider choice of smaller homes, townhouses, duplexes and units close to public transport and within walking distance of shops, services and places to catch up with friends. Thoughtful design should help people feel safe and connected to their neighbourhood.
If further incentives to encourage housing diversity are considered, I’d want to understand how they would help deliver homes within reach of the people we hope to attract and retain. A smaller floorplan alone doesn’t guarantee an affordable home.
And I’d want young people involved in that conversation. What would make staying here or returning possible for them? A suitable rental? Career progression? Training opportunities? Better transport connections?
Their answers might be different from what we assume.
Of course these decisions take more than a mayor. Councillors, other levels of government, employers, education providers and the community all have a part to play.
But that would be my priority, helping the next generation turn their connection to this place into a future here. One day, we may need them here more than ever.
So what one change would you prioritise to help young people stay or find their way home?
