By JONATHON HOWARD
THE Queensland Local Government Reform Alliance seeking justice for local communities forced into amalgamation was formalised in Toowoomba this month.
Stanthorpe resident Bob Johnson was elected chairman of the now fully constituted Alliance and was sworn in during the inaugural general meeting on 13 July.
Mr Johnson said the LNP Government must recognise its failure to allow local communities a voice.
“The Alliance is calling the LNP to get back on track by allowing local communities redress through discussion and referenda,” he said.
“The formalisation of the group in Toowoomba was attended physically and through video conferencing by community and de-merger organisations from South West, South East, Central and North Queensland and a committee was elected consisting of representatives from across the state.
“The Government put a process in place that denied Queenslanders natural justice,” Mr Johnson said.
“It disallowed many former council areas a chance to re-establish their local communities, or to seek boundary changes.
“Only four were allowed to de-merge, despite 19 having applied. Many more would have applied had the process been fair. On the evidence there appears to be a serious breach of natural justice.”
Speaking about the new group, Mr Johnson said the Alliance, open to all local community groups, would advocate at State level until the Beattie Government’s failed amalgamation process was properly addressed and corrected, allowing demerger for councils seeking it, and others to be allowed to re-draw boundaries, and otherwise to restore community representation and re-empower communities.
“All communities are suffering under high rates-low service delivery regimes, increasing council debt levels, lost council representation and loss of sense of community identity,” he said.
“All evidence proves beyond doubt that bigger is not better and will never be, when applied to local and regional councils.
“The amalgamation process was supposed to reduce the burden for communities. The reverse is true. Amalgamation was supposed to enable councils to better deal with natural disasters. This has also proven to be a furphy in the recent cyclone and flood events. The promised savings have not eventuated.”
“The burden of amalgamation and the dis-economies of scale from centralisation continue to plague communities. Amalgamation was all about centralisation by stealth. We are requesting to be allowed to decentralise or demerge or otherwise reverse this abominable crime against democracy,” Mr Johnson said.
The Alliance is gaining momentum in Queensland and there is interest in NSW. The Alliance will campaign for all council areas requesting it, to have a referendum to re-draw local government boundaries, to restore and re-empower communities.
For more information, contact Secretary J. Kesteven on (07) 5463 5304 or Chairman Bob Johnson on 0432 950 645.
Or check the group’s website www.qgrallaince.com.au
