Sue Brooks November 9th, 2011
Like it or not our Fraser Coast Regional area has been divided into ten separate divisions. Personally I believed that divisions were what the majority of the community desired and supported the change. However I would have much preferred that we had ended up with multi member divisions so that the community still had a choice of Councillor and that each Councillor had another councillor with which to share the workload etc.
But the best laid plans don’t always provide the outcome we desire. The current proposed 10 divisions don’t, in my opinion, provide the local representation that divisions should be designed to do. Now before I go any further I have to state the obvious in that I am hoping to represent our community for another 4 years at the next Council election in March next year. For that reason my comments cannot be other than tinged with some small amount of personal interest. I believe this would be the case for each and every sitting Councillor and each and every prospective candidate. The reason for this is that for the first time in my experience where I live…. matters. I live at Dundowran Beach and have always lived here (or owned property here) since I arrived in 1998. I absolutely adore this beautiful patch of paradise and can’t contemplate living any where else ever.. space for trees and beach and town close by. What’s not to like!
I believe that the divisions should reflect communities that are in a similar geographical area and that have a community of interest. I don’t believe the current proposed divisions do this. Specifically Divisions 4 and 5 which cover the coastal communities of Dundowran, Cariagnish, Toogoom on through to Burrum Heads which have been enlarged to include parts of Maryborough being Granville and Tinana. I cannot see any logic to this approach.
It is unnecessary for a Councillor living along the coast, as I do, to represent the coastal communities as well as a suburb or two of Maryborough. It is even more unfair to expect Maryborough residents to believe they have a common interest with the residents of our Hervey Bay coastal communities. It is obvious that one section of each of these divisions will miss out on what can be called ‘local’ representation.
All the models that have previously been presented to Council did not carve up our region in this manner so the latest proposal was a complete surprise to all. I believe that the coastal communities should be included in one division and that Maryborough should not be carved up and sectioned off in small bits to meet the population targets of geographically distant areas. I believe this carving up of Maryborough could see Maryborough or the surrounding rural communities badly disadvantaged come April 2012.
Whether you agree with me, or not, please take the time to voice your opinion to the Change Commissioner before Monday the 14th of November. It is a very simple process, quick and painless. Whether you submit one sentence or a long letter your opinion is important.
I don’t believe the people of Dundowran, Craignish, Toogoom and Burrum Heads through to Nikenbah and Takura as well as the people of Torbanlea and Howard and the small communities in between, will be best represented by a Granville or Tinana based Councillor and I don’t believe that Maryborough residents will want to support a Hervey Bay coastal based Councillor. After all the reasons most people voted for divisions was to provide them with that ‘local’representation. The divisions as proposed, I believe, will further divide our community rather than provide a fair and equitable distribution of Councillor representation. Our communities deserve better.
But at the end of the day each Councillor will work hard to represent whichever area they are successful in being elected to represent. All sitting Councillors represent the entire region now. I am very, very confident that no matter where the lines on the map are eventually drawn, Councillors will continue to work in the very best interests of the community that they represent no matter how large or small the area. All Councillors must always place the needs of the entire region above the needs of a smaller section of that region.
I believe the boundaries will be changed if enough people ask them to be changed. I will be asking that Maryborough be divided more fairly and that the coastal communities and rural townships be kept more separate from the larger urban communities. I believe this is a fairer distribution than the one proposed. To have your say simply visit the ECQ web site and follow the advice there.
www.ecq.qld.gov.au
Feedback can be emailed to reviews@ecq.qld.gov.au with the name of the council in the subject field. Feedback can also be posted to
Local Government Change Commission
GPO Box 1393 Brisbane 4001
Submissions close on Monday 14 November 2011.
Thanks once again for taking the time to read my musings and for your interest in your Local Government. I trust that this finds you well, happy and enjoying the warm spring weather. Many, many cheers, Sue