Tip fees, kerbside collections, and developing land in southern Redland Bay were all discussed at a meet-the-candidates forum at Thorneside Community Hall on Thursday.
Some candidates running in Divisions 1,8,9 and 10 in this month's Redland City Council election put forward their views at the meeting organised by the Birkdale Progress Associiation.
The city's two mayoral candidates, Melva Hobson and Karen Williams, also addressed the forum, organised by Birkdale Progress Association.
Division 1 councillor Wendy Bolgary broached the contentious subject of tip fees and said they only provided 15 per cent of the $17million annual cost of transfer stations.
Mayoral candidate Karen Williams told the audience tip fees had led to an increase in illegal dumping in bushland throughout the city.
Her opponent, incumbent mayor Melva Hobson said kerbside collections would cost up to $1million a year.
Cr Hobson also told the audience about her new slogan - off the gates on to the rates - when talking about tip fees.
Along with tip fees, the extension of Mount Cotton quarry was also discussed.
Cr Boglary and other candidates opposed plans to extend the quarry.
Cr Hobson would not confirm her position and Cr Williams was also restrained in her comments saying the council still had to assess the plans.
Both mayoral candidates refused to comment in detail about the contentious Mount Cotton Biomass plan because the matter is in a court of appeal.
Developer Cleveland Power's plan is to build a power station fuelled by chicken manure at Mount Cotton.
Division 8 candidate musician Alan Beard opened up debate about preserving heritage buildings.
He said the community should be prepared to pay to preserve its heritage.
Division 9 candidate carpet business owner Paul Gleeson said authorities must use common sense when protecting heritage.
Division 10 councillor Helen Murray, who has held the seat for 18 years, said celebrating the pioneers of the area was a good way to protect the area's heritage.
Her rival for the seat, Blue Heeler actor Paul Bishop, said he wanted to bring an understanding of big issues around the world to Birkdale.
The third candidate for the seat, Richard Matterson said council needed to look at why an average off-leash dog area cost $40,000 to establish.
Mr Matterson also said he was a member of the LNP and denied he was anti conservation.
Mr Bishop said heritage linked civilisations to the future and memories gave people their culture.
Roads were another issue candidates spoke about.
All candidates said the proposed Northern Arterial Road from Cleveland to Birkdale would never be built.
Division 9 candidate Paul Gleeson told the audience he supported a Moreton Bay Road overpass over Redland Bay Road but doubted it would ever happen.
Mayoral candidate Karen Williams said the council had to get serious about public transport and possibly even consider subsidies.
Another topic was creating jobs opportunities within Redland City.
Division 10 candidate Richard Matterson said he wanted to halt the exodus of workers out of Redlands.
Towards the end of the two-hour meeting, Cr Hobson concluded her debate saying Redlands was a leader in environmental and financial sustainability.
The mayor also said she did not think ratepayers should have to subsidise urban sprawl or foot the bill for development infrastructure costs.
Cr Hobson said she did not support extending the urban footprint or the southern Redlands housing expansion and said an extra 40,000 people in the city in the next 20 years was enough.
She said also said residents in the south of Redlands should question any plans to develop land there.
The mayor sparked further debate when she told the audience she had heard a developer had a sales office ready to go near Serpentine Creek Road, Redland Bay.
Cr Williams responded to the mayor's claims about southern Redland Bay and promised she would not go against community wishes for development of that area.
Cr Williams said until the community told her otherwise, she would not change the southern Redland Bay development footprint, which prompted the mayor to question Cr Williams' attitude to developing that area.
In her concluding address, Cr Williams told the crowd she was born and bred in Redlands, had been dedicated to community service, had helped local business and had never been a member of a political party.
Cr Williams said she knew of people's concerns about the rising cost of living and promised to hitch rates rises to CPI, if elected.
She also targetted the council bureaucracy and said there was "too much box ticking" by middle management.
She vowed to reduce over-regulation and promised to streamline the council to help residents and business get decisions made quickly.
Cr Williams also reiterated her campaign pledge to drop tip fees.
She said the Redlands 2030 plan was not costed and that the city was going into debt with purchases that "don't necessarily help the future".
Before the forum ended, Cr Hobson said developer appeals were at an all-time low but Cr Williams corrected the mayor and said applications were down 50 per cent.