Friday, August 17, 2007

QUEENSLAND COUNCIL AMALGAMATIONS

Amazing comments from the Federal Government not the least the Prime Minister involving himself in the the State's decicion with the need for Council amalgamations, where was he when the other states did the same in a simular way? Mind you it was not election time then.
The frightening thing is the assumption that 'all Qeenslanders' lack the inteligence to understand his political ploy to attempt to take advantage of some 'very focal' Mayors, councillors and their followers' with opposition views, I'm sure it is a coincidence that the perceived beneficial effects are in National/Liberal country areas.
Several Members of parliament stated 'All Queenslanders where in uproar', clearly the most unfortunate statement ever made, I'm not in uproar and 'all the people I'm in contact with are neither'.
I do hope that any of the 'totally ineffective polls or whatever they are called', afterall the mergers are going ahead irrespectively, are conducted by polling all involved people in the new regional council area not the particular council who don't like the idea.
More-ever it would be a good idea to publicly declare who was funding the opposition to any relevant merger, developers and the like come to mind.
Expanding further on this idea why not adopt the Swiss practice to poll all people on any major project proposed by the Federal Government as well as the State. I'm sure I don't have to list all the major decisions you would like to vote on.
The Canberra ambiance must create a very remote understanding of any area away from them, then again I suppose the next elections, State or Federal will sort that problem out.
I understand that a politician's most urgent need is their preservation eg re-election or in the case of the various Mayors, Councillors and cosy jobs hangers on to not only keep their jobs but to ensure their future – that being rather tennuous for most of us. Mind you you can't blame them for trying.
Where I live here in the soon ex Beaudesert Shire we have seen the annexing of a large rural area including the Boonah Shire (with a debt of over $10 Mill) and losing a major rate base reducing the population by about a half, (will our rates go up?) but acceptance that life has to go on and we have to adapt with the changes around us seems to pervade around us.
Reflecting on other mergers – the impression is that in many a case a hard basket case has been added to a larger more effective region, hopefully the mix will produce a better result. As always working for possitive result will produce one, obstructing would of course either delay or negate any benefit.