“Rockhampton and surrounds” – Size, Shape & Sustainability Project
This post is a personal comment on an issue facing the community in which I live. I was moved to blog my concern as I fear that the majority of people will remain silent and apathetic when they should really be participating in the necessary conversation that needs to occur.
Amalgamation … Just do it !!
According to the Local Government Act, a merger occurs where one council is abolished and merged with another, while amalgamation sees both councils abolished and a new one created. One existing Council’s name survives in a merger, while an amalgamation results in a new council name.
What does this mean in the context of Livingstone, Fitzroy, Mt Morgan and Rockhampton councils? There are pros and cons with any argument; I think we should focus on the increased opportunities to harness the collective strengths of the areas in which we live.
Some food for thought:
- Do you support amalgamation of Rockhampton City Council, Mt Morgan Shire Council, Fitzroy Shire Council and Livingstone Shire council?
- What names do you think are appropriate?
- How many councillors should there be?
- Should there be electoral divisions or should it be undivided?
- If there were to be divisions, How many, and what geographic regions should they cover?
There is information available which suggest some councils considering amalgamation to become undivided in their boundary representation. The same information also suggests that it has occurred without a loss of rural representation on Councils that include a mix of urban and rural communities.
However, there is still a significant risk that communities could be unrepresented for up to four years now. Look at the Emu Park community in the Livingstone Shire Council for a recent example of this. Community engagement processes and access to Council decision making would become even more important in such circumstances.
The independent facilitator for the Rosalie Shire council and Crows Nest Shire councils offered the following insight:
Since 1991, a total of 54 Queensland councils have reduced their number of councillors. There was a strong continuation of the trend to reduce the composition (number of councillors) of Queensland councils with 17 councils (out of 125) reducing composition for the 2004 elections. The reduction in the number of councillors is a trend not only in Queensland but also across Australia.
The role of councillors has changed to be more like that of Directors on a Board with a diminishing involvement in the day-to-day running of the council. For 2004 there was a continuation of the trend to abolish electoral divisions. Another 5 councils abolished divisions bringing the total to 66 compared to 24 prior to 1991.
The trend is mainly in regional and rural areas, because of the less parochial and more “whole of area” thinking adopted in decision making.
I would like to reinforce the last sentence. The trend is mainly in regional and rural areas, because of the less parochial attitudes and more ‘whole of area’ thinking adopted in decision making.
Lets not get bogged down in power bases and building Crystal Palaces.