Greg Campbell first mayoral candidate for Cloncurry Shire

Current mayor of Cloncurry Shire, Greg Campbell spoke to The North West Star on Monday March 2 announcing he had submitted his paperwork to re-contest as mayor as an independent.

Greg Campbell has served as the mayor of Cloncurry for the last four years, and is no stranger within the community.

He was raised in Cloncurry as a young boy, before relocating for part of his schooling and apprenticeship before returning to the region.

Mr Campbell said Cloncurry meant everything to him.

"Its our life. My mothers family has been here for generations. We have got the opportunity to be anywhere, but love Cloncurry and choose to be here," he said.

"It is always an interesting time with elections. I think Local Government is the best type of government because we get a lot of stuff done on the ground for people, but at the end of the day you still have to go to the polls every four years and I think it would be nice if the achievements speak for themselves.

Mr Campbell said his council had accomplished a "hell of a lot" in the last four years.

"I have a big list of projects and I think I could go on and on about projects, but the Burke and Wills Airstrip is a key-one that we have produced an all weather strip from a generous donation to the flying doctor, it was matched through Main Roads and council managed that project. So we helped turn a bequest to the RFDS which is going to be a life saving airstrip for not just Cloncurry but neighbouring shires and travellers as well," he said.

"Also the (Carl Katter) Bridge which we opened recently, to finally going to have a compliant sewerage plant which we have been at risk of getting millions of dollars in fines - which through building relationships with the state government we have been able to mitigate that and work towards a good outcome. Also the Florence Clark Park development we are providing one of the coolest water parks in the North West.

"To some of the other non-council things, I was a strong lobbyist for Aurizon getting the contract renewed with Incitec Pivot which secured 50 or more jobs for train drivers for a number of years, reassuring that every job is a vital part of the community staying strong."

Mr Campbell said there was a number of major projects on the horizon that he would like to see to fruition.

"Like the Drone Facility or the Aurizon Driver Operator Facility, we have been the main driver for those types of projects started here in Cloncurry," he said.

"The money that we have got through state and federal grants was one indicator and I think the highest it has ever been. We have got a $50 million capital works program this year with over 60 per cent funded, so that is money that is going to be spent through our local businesses and contractors. We will continue to have a very strong local presence. That funding only comes from hard work and building relationships with it doesn't matter what political party but to show that our shire deserves what we are getting.

"I also think we are about up to 80 per cent of our town streets have been resealed or rebuilt, and once we have got to that stage we can start looking at our unsealed streets. This was one of the first things I said, was that we need to maintain our assets we've got before we can do new stuff and works as well.

"And $5.5 million for Sedan Dip Road, which is going to be jobs for months and create an all weather access for the properties in that part of the shire and from traffic coming off the beef road as well."

Mr Campbell said the Shire of Cloncurry was well on its way to being economically sustainable.

"The diversification of our industries, we are on the cusp of agriculture booming in the North West and Cloncurry needs to be a big part of that," he said,

"(This) on the back of our already strong industries being, mining, transport and cattle we have got to continue to support them and make them even better and then we can rely on that to make the district stronger.

"In the last 12 months our graziers were part of the flood and were hit hard and we had the double whack of the CuDeco Mine collapse as well.

"Through a lot of good lobbying to get the major capital works program that council is doing to fill that gap, the town is still going ahead. "

In conjunction to project development, Mr Campbell said his council had been working to generate more workers to the region.

"We have got back a number of jobs at the department of agriculture, so that office is now full for the first time in many, many years, we are focusing on getting our core health staff filled up to what I think it should be, focusing on getting more main roads staff in the office here and working with the mines to get more people living here locally as well because the population is the strength of our community.

"I would like to see the Take the Memorandum of Understanding with MMG through to fruition, where they have actually built houses and able to secure more of their staff away from being fly-in-fly-out to living locally is one of the big challenges."

Mr Campbell said his council had achieved a lot of projects and hard work over the our years now the decision was up to the community.

"I think that is the way the community prefers to see elections as being a group of individuals that run, but once the election is finished the group that is elected is expected to work together as a team.

"That is the team that has been elected by the people for the betterment of the community.

"Just like every team, you may not agree all the time but the greater good is working together to create a better community."

READ ALSO: Cloncurry candidates come out of hiding.

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