By Sheree Hoddinett
It’s been four years in the making, but Adrian Raedel has decided it’s time to return to council. Vying for his old seat in Division 12 in the City of Moreton Bay, which he was first elected to in 2008, Mr Raedel is more than ready for the challenge ahead of him after facing corruption charges (later being cleared) and intense scrutiny when running for mayor at the last election in 2020. Fast forward to 2024, a successful venture in town planning and still with nothing to hide, Mr Raedel is raring to go and ready to represent the community once again. In a surprise twist, his wife Kerri is also running in the upcoming council election, nominating for Division 3.
While it’s certainly no secret now, just weeks out from the election on March 16, it did take some time for Mr Raedel to decide he wanted to dive back in again. It was while attending consultation meetings for the new highway with fellow residents that Mr Raedel started to feel the urge.
“I was able to go to the consultation meetings with these people and help them through the process….it kind of felt like the right place to be,” Mr Raedel said. “It was nice to be able to help and give back to those particular people who supported me for so long.”
After keeping everyone in suspense (or not, if you look at the speculation), Mr Raedel shared a video to say what many had been waiting to hear – he was running again for Division 12. Rumours were also swirling that he was writing a book, that he and Kerri were getting divorced and also they were having another baby – none of which are true by the way.
“It is going to be a hard ask, there is an incumbent, but I think it's time that we put the local back into the local government,” Mr Raedel said. “And I think that's what we're missing here in Division 12 and to be honest I think it's what we're missing right across the City of Moreton Bay. So, we're going to give it a go and bring our community back into the forefront of the City of Moreton Bay.”
While this may not be Mrs Raedel’s first council election experience, it’s certainly new territory for her running as a candidate. Taking everyone by surprise in nominating, Mrs Raedel wants the community to know that she wants to be a part of a change.
“I have decided to put my hand up for Division 3, an area that encompasses Caboolture, Morayfield and surrounds,” Mrs Raedel said. “I feel we need better representation in this area, because we all live either in Caboolture or around Caboolture and nothing is happening in our main centre hub of town. And I want to change that. So, I've sat back and watched it just decline in my opinion and I think I can do better, I want to do better, I want to be proud.
“I want people to be proud to say I live in Caboolture or Morayfield or that they live near these areas. I want people to own their town.”
Mrs Raedel said it was time to put her vision where her mouth was.
“I know I have the skills to enter politics. So I'm going to do it,” she said. “I have a good mentor; I have learnt from the best.
“I have seen the worst. I have experienced the worst. But what I know is that when you sit down and you complain about something and you don't do anything to change it, then who's the problem?”
While they are running in two separate divisions, the Raedels are choosing to campaign as a team with the yellow and black signature look featuring for both candidates in their signage and other material.
“We are both individual candidates, we both have our signs and we'll be watching what’s going on out there,” Mrs Raedel said. “But we are running as a team and want to be a part of the change to make the change happen.”
NOTE – For those residents living in council areas where there is only one candidate vying for their seat (Division 1, 4, 7, 9 and 11) and due to there only being one mayoral candidate, you do not have to vote.
