As Mayor Clare Stewart marks her first 100 days in office Noosa Today asks the first-time politician about her new career.
With a busy life running a business, with three young children what was it that made you decide now was the time to run for the job of Mayor of Noosa?
I think there is never a right time. I have always had an interest in politics and after much discussion with my husband and family, and buoyed from their support, I decided to run. The mindset was always: even if I don’t win then at least I have had a go. Either way, by the end of the campaign, win or lose and it really could have gone either way, I thought I had won, as I had put my hand up and had a go.
Now you’ve won the election what does your family think of your new role?
My husband is very proud, but I think increased duties in the parenting stakes is wearing thin (laughing). Seriously, my husband Campbell is incredibly supportive and delighted. I could not do this job without his help in so many ways. As are my parents who live eight minutes away. They are also unbelievably helpful and supportive. They tell me “they still cannot fully come to grips with the outcome; their only daughter being asked to be so engaged with the community”.
What do your children think of you being Mayor?
During the campaign I got a text from a friend who is a mum from school. She said: Clare, just so you know, William is promising all new playground equipment for his school if you win’. It was pretty funny and we had a good laugh, but really my kids are quite young. The older two understand to some degree and simply have this supportive but wondering smile. They don’t say it but I know from things they write and things they say they are very proud. My four-year old daughter is more concerned about the corona virus and not being able to go to Aussie World at the moment.
In what ways has it changed your day-to-day life?
I have become a full time worker. It is for me very much a full day’s engagement. I leave at 8am most mornings and I am not home until around 5.30pm-6pm most nights and that is without the functions. No doubt as restrictions ease, functions will increase (they are starting to already) so I have to be very mindful of a work life balance and prioritizing the time I spend with my husband and kids; focusing on them. Putting the phone away, not checking the emails and things like that are on the agenda once home: a challenge to be still fully addressed.
How would you sum up your election campaign experience?
Challenging and greatly supported. I had the best team around me. The team led by former MP Bruce Davidson and great friend Kate Watson were stellar. Experience and political nous really mattered. Bruce’s advice and support were instrumental, as was the rest of my team whose skills in media, communications, policy, strategy all seemed to come together quite magnificently. I could not have done it without them. I was a political novice who had to come from nowhere to oust an incumbent who had the advantage of being a councillor for four years and then mayor for four. On the back of major bushfires and a global pandemic, all aligning to incumbency, it was a big battle. I know at the end of the day, I couldn’t have worked any harder. Win or lose, I had not left anything on the table.
Is the job what you expected it to be?
Yes and no. For me, the hardest part of my job is meeting community expectations quickly. I had a platform for change and am determined to meet it; and while much is achieved, there are still unresolved commitments on which I am working. Learning processes and how you go about things is all new to all of us who are new to the job. We have much to learn in that department. The breadth and level of work that local council oversees is substantial and the work has and continues to be incredibly fulfilling. To be able to make a difference for the betterment of someone’s life is a great and powerful thing. That is the privilege and responsibility of the role: what I continue to focus on during my term.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect so didn’t focus too much on what the job would be like in detail. Yes, I had experience as a lawyer, governance responsibilities with a national charity and small business. However, if really pushed; I would say that the job is far more diverse than I expected, and at the same time more supported than I would have ever imagined. The CEO and senior staff have provided a huge amount of advice and assistance to all new councillors. The budget is a great example of this. Our Director of Corporate Services Michael Shave and his team and the work they brought to us as a council on the budget was second to none. Their hard work, expertise and advice made our job a whole lot easier.
What has your work entailed in your first 100 days in office?
Hit the ground running’ is perhaps a good way to describe it.
Since commencement, we have had briefings from all departments, met with many of the staff and have had numerous meetings, and information sessions from the various directors of each department. I’ve chaired a number of Local Disaster Management Group meetings, Ordinary Council meetings and Special Council Meetings and have been involved in all meetings for our Planning and Environment and Services and Organisation Committees.
The instigation of the business round table, which is an initiative of Council to help and support our local businesses, associations, chambers and of course Tourism Noosa has been incredibly productive. I have also had the opportunity to meet with all three of our business associations and the Noosa Chamber of Commerce as well as the CEO and Chair of Tourism Noosa.
I have had the opportunity to meet with our State Member Sandy Bolton on a number of occasions as well as our Federal Member Llew O’Brien and host Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe as well as Small Business Commissioner Maree Adshead here in Noosa. Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie and myself were also privileged to talk to the Queensland Governor over a skpe call and tell him about the resilience of our community through Covid-19.
Collaboration is a big focus of mine so it was important for me to reach out to the mayors in Gympie Sunshine Coast and Moreton bay councils. We all have our unique differences, but I feel if we can work together on projects, it can only benefit the wider region and I have had personal meetings with Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery, Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig and Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson which have all been incredibly productive.
I have also met with senior members of Queensland Police and senior members of QFES. I am grateful for the support these people have shown me and I look forward to working closely with them all I have, with the easing of some restrictions been able to visit incredible community organisations such as Katie Rose Cottage, Sunshine Coast Butterflies and the whole of council took a trip up to Teewah and were hosted by the Rural Fire Brigade. I’m looking forward to further engaging with the community as restrictions ease and am attending my first Rotary handover dinner tomorrow night. I’ve had the absolute pleasure of engaging in two story time readings at our library, one with my loveable labradoodle Pepper and had the opportunity and privilege to present awards to some of the remarkable youth in our community who made over 1000 faceshields for our front line workers during the height of covid. In the past week on behalf of Noosa Shire Council, I presented at the Sunshine Coast Business Council and just last week, we brought down our first budget. I am incredibly proud of the budget. A team effort in every sense of the word and a grassroots budget for the whole community. All councillors worked incredibly hard to ensure most of the community received no rate rise. We were adamant that we would achieve that.
I am very proud that we have increased our fire mitigation. We have nearly doubled our cool fire burns (weather dependent) and have added many additional kilometres of fire trails/fire breaks. Increased fire mitigation was a major platform issue for me during my campaign; so incredibly important to the many people I spoke with.
I have also enjoyed meeting people. I meet a host of different people, with different jobs, from different walks of life everyday. I ran a very grass roots campaign- walking the streets and talking to people. I will continue to do that in my role as Mayor. I know that previous Mayor Bob Abbot was brilliant at it and I would like to follow suit in that regard. My dad tells me: ‘it helps being a mild extrovert’.
What parts have been the least enjoyable?
Not being able to deliver on things straight away. Meeting community expectations which are sometimes immediate and not being able to say: ‘I’ve got that covered’. As councilors we are, under law and legislation required to meet strict guidelines when it comes to taking a role at an operational level. We are not ‘operators’ we are a board of directors and have a governance role. It’s hard not to want to get in at an operational level, but in saying that, staff are always incredibly responsive when requests are made or further information or investigation is sought.
In your election campaign you said Noosa needed a better voice for the community. Now you’re in the job is this still your aim? If so how do you think will you be able to deliver on this?
Absolutely; that was a catch cry of mine. I think all councilors are well aware that we need to engage with community at a substantial level. We have a number of measures which we are putting in place to achieve this. During my campaign I stated that an engagement officer for the hinterland would be implemented. When I took the idea to councilors they were all keen to be personally involved. However, due to the unforeseen nature of COVID there was no ability to employ or make a new position because of financial constraints. What we have come up with as a united council will be released in the next week or so and I think it will be great way to engage further with the community. It is I believe a strategy that achieves the electoral commitment in a more sustainable and comprehensive way. It is one to watch out for.
Of course we would have liked to have consultation with the community in regard to the budget but the pandemic put pay to that. That is why we are adamant that before budget review two the community will be asked for feedback and to have a say.
In regard to being a voice for the community, I think listening to residents and getting out and about is still paramount. Clearly health restrictions have greatly restricted this but again when relaxations continue to ease I will ensure that a few hours a week are dedicated to me being out in the streets and talking to business operators, residents and anyone else who would like to chat. Coffee in the Shire and not the office is the objective.
