THE new council got off to a delayed start with results in Divisions 3 and 5 not declared for more than two weeks after the election.

It left the inexperienced new council with little time to prepare the 2012-13 budget.

While the budget revealed many positives, it received mixed reviews in the community, mostly due to another rate rise.

That rise was 4.5%, making it the lowest increase since amalgamation - but this was still too much for many, particularly those who accused Mayor Gerard O'Connell of breaking an election commitment on the issue.

A closer examination of his comments on the public record showed Cr O'Connell did no such thing, as the only thing he promised before the election was a freeze on rates until a thorough financial examination was undertaken, to see where money could be saved.

As long as this was undertaken before the budget was announced, there was no broken promise from the Mayor.

One of the early council debates which attracted a lot of comment from the public was the issue of banning exotic animals in circuses on the Fraser Coast.

Councillors George Seymour and Stuart Taylor put forward a proposal to seek public participation on the banning of any circus featuring exotic animals, while councillors Chris Loft and James Hansen believed there were more important uses for the council's time and money.

The council voted 9-2 to look into the issue, but the proposed ban was never implemented.

The council's first real taste of a major backlash from the community came from a seemingly innocuous source in October and November - over a small pool at Teddington Weir and a statue of a frog.

The beloved frog pool had become economically unviable and needed to be filled in, the council said.

However, the public did not find out about the decision until about a week before the demolition.

Cr O'Connell in particular was slammed over the issue, as a woman who was trying to organise a petition to save the pool accused him of misleading her about the date of the project.

Cr O'Connell denied this, however the point remained that the council did not adequately judge the public mood over this issue, and the fact people were not given an opportunity to have their say to save their pool added to the backlash.

From June to December, the issue of clearing the Hervey Bay foreshore continued to attract plenty of attention.

Many candidates before the election spoke about the need for better management of the foreshore, and the council was quick to start work.

A new taskforce had been set up in June, and by August the process of trimming or removing sections of undergrowth and cottonwoods was in full swing.

The clearing was hailed as a triumph by many in the community, and an environmental disaster by others.

Opponents of the project quickly mobilised and started petitions against the clearing, while an online poll organised by the Chronicle showed broad public support for the council on the issue.

The debate over the foreshore would continue into 2013.

Wide Bay Water Corporation began to dominate council-related press from November.

At the month's first ordinary meeting, each of the divisional representatives spoke on whether or not to bring the water and sewerage utility back under council control.

The final vote was a surprising 9-1 in favour of stripping WBBC of its corporate status and transforming it into a commercial business unit of council.

Councillor George Seymour was the lone dissenting voice at the time, telling his colleagues:

"I don't recall anybody here saying they wanted to contribute to local unemployment".

If November was the month of WBWC, then December was all about development.

Ronald McDonald arrived in Urangan dancing on the pier as a new shopping centre was approved.

The Maryborough Aquatic Centre and Hervey Bay Cultural Centre were unveiled in the same week.

This was followed with approval for the $60 million Rosewood eco-resort, a six-storey development on the Esplanade and the building design for a Torquay shopping centre a fortnight later.

Councillor George Seymour again appeared the main dissenting voice, telling the Chronicle he had lost faith in the region's planning scheme.

As for the council, its true colours had been tied to a mast and raised high into the sky, the message delivered: pro development.

After a couple of tricky months, the council began to cover itself in glory by late-January and early-February as floods and tornados ravaged the region.

The team of merry men worked around the clock to ensure Fraser Coast was on the mend.

Door-to-door knocks began as part of a crackdown to locate those with unregistered pets; a date was given for fluoride to be stopped; parklets were proposed; and a push to get plastic bags out of the region announced.

The draft planning scheme went public. It signalled proposed changes for high-rise development on the Esplanade and a shift to zone commercial properties as residential.

Fraser Coast chief executive officer Lisa Desmond raised her hand and accepted blame for a $65 million bungle.

In its hasty push for control of WBWC, the council had missed a hefty stamp duty charge.

The mayor and the CEO came under fire again soon after that, as the Chronicle exposed the handing of a consultancy role to former councillor Anne Nioa. Cr O'Connell denied any shonky dealings.

Then, businesses in Maryborough threatened to leave town if the council chose not to review its draft planning scheme. The WBWC fiasco continued to haunt.

WBWC chairwoman Leith Boully and director Gary Storch quit following a disagreement with the council.

Around the same time, the deputy mayor's position was made available. Half the councillors put their hands up as potential candidates. The new WBWC board met.

The final instalment in a mixed 12 months saw the mayor flag a rate rise in the upcoming budget.