David Fletcher is running for Mayor of Mount Isa

Mr Fletcher is an engineer involved in export logistics who leads the “Locals United” group with what he calls a “Back to Basics agenda” in the council elections.

“Running in the election almost feels like it was something I didn’t choose, it chose me,” Mr Fletcher said.

I started off 35 years ago sitting on the dock in Townsville watching them load ships and I’ve gone full circle through everything in the engineering world back to the point where I’m looking at ports and exports in logistics.”

Mr Fletchers leads a team with six others running for council: Leann Shaw, Hayley Hogan, Roslyn Von Senden, Nick Maric, Alvin Hava and Stephanie King.

“We are running on a platform of water infrastructure, community strengthening, business development and service delivery,” Mr Fletcher said.

“Our team has breath from youth to drive innovation in service delivery through to experience in mining and infrastructure and depth with passionate locals who are daily involve in delivering community strengthening services.”

Mr Fletcher said their focus would be on addressing crime and fostering business development.

“We want to access every funding and diversionary program possible to drive future benefits,” he said.

“Times are tough and the council has signed us up for another million dollars of debt.

“There are empty shops, people have lost their jobs and even people with a job are looking over their shoulders.”

Mr Fletcher said they understood the rural recession and the mining downturn and they had the direction to get the region on the path to a better future.

“Noel Pearson had a great quote the other day; every pet and every parrot is talking about infrastructure at the moment,” he said.

“I’ve long been advocating for infrastructure in the North West.”

Mr Fletcher said the overwhelming theme he had received from meetings across northern Queensland was we were all in this together.

“A port in Townsville is no good unless it’s got something to export,” he said.

“A mine in Mount Isa without a good export logistics chain is just a hole in the ground.”