PROFILE He was the underdog who surprised with his 2004 election win as Division 2 Councillor for North Stradbroke Island and Cleveland. Councillor Craig Ogilvie talks to MARIA TAN about his 2012 election bid and his hopes (and fears) for Straddie’s future.
At the heart of the community Craig Ogilvie has strong family connections to Straddie and is a familiar face on the Island.
“I
think this next period is critical for the Island,” Cr Ogilvie told SIN. “The new township plans that have to be done for Dunwich, Amity and Point Lookout are nitro glycerine in the hands of the wrong people – and the wrong people are very interested in getting their hands on council power at the moment.” A major theme of Cr Ogilvie’s 2012 reelection campaign centres on ensuring development “that balances environmental, social and economic considerations”. “The next planning scheme for the city will be done by the next council,” Cr Ogilvie said. “That is the document that zones properties, or more importantly, re-zones properties. “So, developers, real estate agents and property owners who stand to get some money out of these changes get quite professional when it comes to these ‘planning scheme elections’. “If the wrong council gets it hands on that planning scheme we could see anything. It could be high rises, it could be a bridge; it could be whatever the development lobby thinks is in their interest.”
The biggest challenge for the Island is getting the future economy right. Cr Ogilvie says the current council, with lord mayor Melva Hobson at the helm, is lobbying for a “community infrastructure funding package” from the state government, to help Straddie make a smooth transition to a non-mining economy. “It’s only eight years before mining stops and anyone who denies that it won’t leave a hole in the economy is kidding themselves,” Cr Ogilvie says. “The point we [the current council] are trying to make to the state government is that Straddie needs to make a transition to an economy that is not dependant on mining. And that will require an investment in infrastructure on the Island that the council simply isn’t in a position to make. “We have to push for the best deal that we can from whoever is in government. The ALP and LNP will make their decisions and
10 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS — 10 YEARS OF LIVING IN SIN
council will work within those boundaries. But in the meantime, we will push the state government to fund the kind of infrastructure needed to effect a positive transition.” Cr Ogilvie, who majored in politics and philosophy at the Australian National University and is a fluent Japanese speaker, has lived in the Redlands for 20 years. He is a familiar face on Straddie, often attending community events or visiting members of his family who live permanently in Point Lookout. His two young nieces attend the Dunwich State School. A patron of the Dunwich All Sports Club and of the NSI Volunteer Marine Rescue, Cr Ogilvie is also active on a number of committees, including the North Stradbroke Island Reference Group, which is providing input into state government planning processes for the future economic development of Straddie. He was involved in Quandamooka native title negotiations and has delivered on multiple plans and upgrades for the Island during his eight-year term. The Straddie councillor told SIN he believes the biggest challenge for the Island is “getting the future economy right”. “The state government is in the middle of a major planning exercise to develop up some strategies so that the community and the Island make a successful transition; council needs to play a big part in that. Ultimately, all those strategies need to be enabled with new township plans. There will be some tough decisions and controversy to come yet.” Cr Ogilvie describes himself as “proprogress but anti bad development”. “Not everyone will have agreed with every decision [I’ve made as councillor], but I think it is well understood that I have made these decisions in good faith and with the community interest at heart,” he said. SUMMER 2011-12