LONG-SERVING Redland City councillor Mark Edwards will not recontest his division 5 seat at the 2024 local government election.
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Cr Edwards, who was elected to council in 2012, said regular change was healthy for all levels of government.
"I don't believe anybody should become a politician for life," he said.
"When I went in, I had an agenda of things I wanted to get done, and a lot of those things I have managed to get done or am still in the process of doing.
"I don't think it's healthy for anyone to be in for long terms.
"A democracy needs change, and if I can't achieve most of what I want in 12 years, then I probably shouldn't have been there in the first place."
Cr Edwards said he made up his mind at the last election that he was not going to run again in 2024, but has only recently made his decision public.
He expects an open race for the division 5 seat, with his early announcement meaning candidates now have almost two years to prepare for the election.
"Everyone comes in with a different viewpoint on things, and I didn't want to leave it to the election year to say 'I'm not going to run'," Cr Edwards said.
"If you decide you want to go for public office, and you've got a job or a business, you have to make a lot of arrangements with that and your family.
"It is something which takes some time to get a good calibre of people, not just people who are looking for a job.
"When there is an election and you're up against a sitting member, it's a lot tougher, because that person already has a lot of cache with the public."
Cr Edwards has been re-elected at the last two council elections by a healthy margin, including in 2020 where he won more than 50 per cent of the vote up against three other candidates.
He wanted his successor to continue advocating for the islands and Redland Bay but said he would support whoever was voted in.
"This is the best opportunity for someone to come in and say 'this is my vision'," Cr Edwards said.
"I am not backing any horse in this. I'm living on the islands afterwards, and I want the best person to be representing the islands."
Cr Edwards was elected to Redland City Council in the same year Karen Williams took over as Mayor. Both have now passed a decade of service in their respective positions.
"I was frustrated with a lot of things that weren't happening in council, in terms of processes and a lack of infrastructure on the islands," Cr Edwards said.
"I thought I'd have a go and in one term things would change. I soon learnt that they can change by building bonds with people, but the process of change is a lot slower and must be done with due process.
"I came into the third term knowing it was going to be my last term and I just wanted to make sure things were on track.
"I'm going on the basis that I think I've done my best and I think people appreciate it."
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