Well, our State election has come and gone and with it the hopes of Noosa regaining its local government in the short term. While disappointed Friends of Noosa are not discouraged as we know it took Mansfield 8 years to separate from the Delatite Regional Council which they were forced to merge with in the early 90s.
While we weren’t able to influence the greater Brisbane area to vote for the party committed to re-establishing our Council, the Noosa voters made their feelings crystal clear with 80% supporting candidates favouring de-amalgamation. The LNP candidate, whose policy would have led to the creation of a Greater Noosa Shire, received 69.85% of the vote on a two party preferred basis.
This follows on from the AEC plebiscite in 2007 in which 69% of Noosa’s eligible voters (the plebiscite being non-compulsory) sent in postal ballots with 95% saying unequivocally NO to amalgamation. Thus even more of the ‘silent majority’ voted against amalgamation when compelled to vote. It clearly dispels the argument put forward by some, that Noosa residents have lost their passion for the return of their local government.
The task for FON is to now persuade Bligh & Co that it’s in the State’s interest to support Noosa’s quest for self government. This will require irrefutable evidence demonstrating a Greater Noosa Shire’s economic capacity to stand alone without financially damaging the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, evidence backed up by an independent expert’s opinion.
The Queensland Government’s own website promises the following:
- A stronger voice for local communities at the State, National and International level.
- Better resources to plan and deliver essential local infrastructure.
- Stronger local government workforces, focussed on servicing communities.
- Less duplication, less red tape, less politcians and better use of rates.
- A focus on service and not administration.
None of the above could honestly be said to have been experienced in Noosa over the past twelve months. Indeed, after their ‘motherhood’ promise of “a stronger voice for local communities at State level, we discover the Sunshine Coast Regional Council have employed the services of Rowland’s P/L, a registered lobbyist firm with the State government, presumably to lobby State Government. Isn’t this the role you would expect a democratically elected Mayor to perform, not some expensive lobbyist firm. I wonder what council pays for this service.
All of which tells us the task of representing close to 300,000 people with diverse cultures and economies, is just too much for one Council to handle. By reducing the numbers represented to a more manageable level the Council becomes more accessible and accountable to residents and can effectively respond to community needs promptly and deliver ‘best practice’ essential services .
We think in time the notion of breaking up the SCRC by establishing a Greater Noosa Shire, will become increasingly popular with Anna Bligh and her party as problems like those encountered in the first year of this council become endemic and require the State to step in and take over some of the functions of this cumbersome council.
It will also be an attractive proposition politically as the party responsible for returning self government to Noosa will certainly benefit at the ballot box next time around, for what promises to be a very tight election.
Bob Ansett
Friends of Noosa |
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