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My guiding principal in business was; ‘We’re in business to create a customer, and then satisfy the needs of that customer’. To achieve this objective you have to get close to your customers and thoroughly understand what it is they want, and then work out a way to deliver the product or service they want and make a profit out of it.
Successful governments know they too must understand the needs of their constituents and govern accordingly. In Queensland we have a government lead by a Premier who wanders around in a yellow vest and ‘hard hat’ repeating over and over the mantra, “I have been elected to make hard and unpopular decisions”. I know some businesses that arrogantly fed their customers a similar line, ‘here’s what we do, take it or leave it’. It might work for awhile, but ultimately customers go elsewhere and the business disappears.
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It’s been a fascinating exercise following the outing of Ministers in the Beattie/Bligh Government, some of whom have been convicted of corruption while others appear guilty of blatant cronyism. Then there is the insidious “pay for access,†arrangements between the Government and former Ministers turned lobbyists. Even the Sunshine Coast Regional Council has engaged Rowlands Pty Ltd as its lobbyist;  So much for “stronger councils!â€
Never was this democratic imbalance more apparent than in the great sham foisted upon Queenslanders with the establishment of the so called Local Government Reform Commission tasked with rubber stamping the Beattie/Bligh Government’s pre-prepared Council amalgamation agenda, against the wishes of ratepayers in the 81 Shires permitted a plebiscite.
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The three hot issues this month are: Rates, the Noosa River Management Plan and Council Transparency.
Let’s begin with the Regional Council’s rate increase for the 09/10 financial year, because it effects all Noosa residents in one form or another. To put it in context it’s worth noting what the Local Government Association of Queensland’s acting director Greg Hoffman had to say on this issue. “Ratepayers in amalgamated council areas have been hit hardest by this year’s rate hikes as mayors struggle to meet mounting costsâ€. Isn’t that surprising given the Bligh Government’s argument for Council amalgamations largely turned on benefits flowing from the ‘economies of scale’ reducing Councils running costs. Alas, recent Galaxy polling revealed 56% of Queenslander's believe Bligh lied to them during the State election, so there we are.
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I don’t know about you but something has definitely been missing from life in Noosa over the past year. It took a little while to identify but it hit me like a ton of bricks this week when our former Mayor chose not to vote on an issue as important to Noosa as the Stockwell Civic 3 development. What’s changed for those of us living in Noosa is we no longer have anyone to champion our cause, no ‘Go- To’ person when we have a problem. No public face of Noosa to meet and greet visitors, to encourage conferences and conventions to come our way. No public ‘figure-head’ to put the record straight when the media over sensationalise about beach erosion or foul weather or any other matter that is being miss-represented in the public arena. |
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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.
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For those who may have missed it here is a copy of the Courier Mail article from Friday 26 March 2009 Click here to view--->>> |
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 The Black Arm Band Rally on Noosa’s Main Beach last Sunday marked the first and hopefully the last anniversary of the loss of our Local Government. More than a thousand Noosa residents and visiting tourists joined the rally to express their disgust over this blatant act of totalitarianism by the Bligh government.
This Remembrance and Renewal Rally was designed to enable residents to commiserate with one another over the loss of our council and to renew and re-energise their commitment to restore Noosa’s right to self govern.
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