The Queensland State elections have at long last been set for the 24th of March with Council elections to follow on the 28th of April.  This is good news for the Noosa community as we will know the outcome of the State elections before going to the polls for council elections.  With the LNP’s commitment to facilitate the restoration of Noosa’s council within 100 days of gaining government, some initial steps will have been taken by the LNP as part of the process necessary to de-amalgamate from the SCRC. However, things will not have progressed to the point where we will be voting for a Noosa council at this election.  The best guess is we will be voting for candidates in Divisions 11 and 12 as part of the existing Regional Council then once the boundaries commission has completed its tasks and the costings for de-amalgamation are finalized our next vote will be in a referendum to confirm the Noosa community supports de-amalgamation.

Assuming the result is overwhelmingly in favour of Noosa re-establishing its own council, there will be another election later in the year for a mayor and 6 councilors to the new council, requiring   councilors from the former Divisions 11 and 12 to stand aside.  This will have minimal effect on the remaining Regional Council which continues on with little disruption.

All this has come about because of the recall of the ‘flood enquiry’ after the Australian newspaper revealed evidence SEQ Water’s official account of the operation of Wivenhoe Dam in January last year was changed after an emergency meeting of Ms Bligh’s cabinet.  As reported in the Australian “There is the whiff of a cover up of a monumental failure in the dam’s management that has both political and economic ramifications.”   This following in the footsteps of the Queensland Heath’s debacle with new payroll softwear costing $100 million to develop and another $200 million to get it to work properly and the $16.0 million dollar fraud committed by a senior officer within the department, yet still no one in government has accepted accountability and fallen on their sword, metaphorically speaking, for either of these two events.  No wonder Bligh deferred this election until the very last moment.

As damning as the mismanagement and prolific spending by the Bligh government has been, we would say all of that pales into insignificance compared to the brutal removal of Noosa’s council without any justification and against the wishes of 96% of Noosa’s voters.  Our loss was the basic democratic tenet of self government and right to determine our future.  Local government is a community government arising from a community of common interest.  Thus local government most affects the environment in which we live and with which we are most engaged.  Its value stems from a local community having a vote which really matters so voters need to know personally those who it is electing and what they stand for.  
As indicated previously we are likely to have a once in a life time opportunity to shape a new 21st Century style council so don’t hold back,  rather than be critical about previous councils be positive  and begin to consider what you would really like to see in a new council.  The NIA has already conducted a number of workshops which has gathered a good deal of material on the subject but more is needed if we are to do it right.  Soon a major campaign will be launched inviting written submissions from individuals, businesses and community associations to express their vision for our new council.

Bob Ansett
www.friendsofnoosa.org