Shane Causley – Clarence Valley meet your candidates

By Tim Howard

The Clarence Valley Council has gone into caretaker mode ahead of the September 14 election.

It’s given 17 community members, including six current councillors to stand for election.

The Northern Rivers Times has given all 17 a chance to introduce themselves to the electorate.

Sixteen of them have grabbed the opportunity. Phillip Provest did not reply to the invitation.

Shane Causley

Warregah Island cane grower Shane Causley is building on a family in politics by running for council.

I am Shane Causley, and I am running for council.

Why?

I have a young family, and like most families in the Clarence, we worry about everything getting more expensive.

I’ll do all I can on council to help relieve cost of living pressures.

I am also passionate about making sure council does everything possible to help open the new Grafton Base Hospital as soon as possible.

I am passionate about the area we live in and will fight to have its natural beauty, and the relaxed lifestyle of our communities maintained.

We need sustainable development; we don’t want development to overwhelm our infrastructure.

My family run a Clarence cane farm; I am inspired to deliver better outcomes for farming families as my own family has done in the past.

I am 100 percent Clarence Valley, born at Maclean Hospital and lived on Warregah Island almost all of my life.

My wife and I have our own farming company. We bought the family’s Warregah Island properties in 2019. We farm sugarcane and soybeans.

I was the chair of Soy Australia, and I take farmers to tour the USA to learn about soybean growing, sustainability, soil health and specialised machinery.

We have been married for 29 years. We have a daughter and a son. We also have five grandchildren.

I played first grade cricket for 20 years in Clarence Valley competitions. I am now an accredited cricket umpire.

I am a director of the North Clarence Harvesting Co-Op. I have been a cane steward at the Maclean Show for 35 years, helping to showcase the sugar industry in our local community.

I am an award-winning member of the North Coast Oilseed Growers Association.

I am passionate about farming and would like to one day hand the family farm over to my children.

I will advocate for all of the Clarence Valley, primary producers, small businesses, sporting groups and local communities.

If elected I will work hard for our local communities, just as my father did for so many years.

Questions

Ahead of the September 14 local government election we have asked all 17 candidates a series of questions testing their response to some of the major concerns of the community. Rates and what the council does with the money is a perennial issue.

Rates

1. Can you guarantee voters that you will not support a special rate variation (SRV) above the annual rate pegging limit in the next term of council?
2. If council can’t increase income via a rate rise, what can it do to balance its books?
3. How can councils help ratepayers with the cost of living issues facing communities?

Answer 1: No, I won’t be supporting a special rate variation.

I’m in favour of the council taking the normal rate pegged amount, which is partly determined by inflation.

This is needed to help balance the books.

Cost of living pressures are making things expensive enough so, combining this with higher interest rates and high inflation, will hurt households, especially young families, that are already struggling.

Answer 2: The new council would have to look at the books and come up with ways to save money as is the case of most businesses. How long is a piece of string?

Whilst I’m not a trained accountant I run a small business and understand balance sheets.

At the end of the day common sense should prevail.

Answer 3: By keeping a close eye on council spending and making sure only necessary projects

are being approved.

With around 50% of Council spending covered by rates and rents Council will need to constantly lobby the State and Federal governments to help.

Read about all the councillors in this weeks edition of The Northern Rivers Times. For more 2024 Local Elections News, click here.