By JOLENE OGLE
A LOCAL architect is calling on Noosa Council to join 35 other local governments in a motion for same-sex marriage.
Robin Bristow has written to Council asking them to support a motion for same-sex marriage that will be presented to the Federal Government.
Currently, Noosa Council has declined to comment on the issue publicly but Mr Bristow has released letters between himself and Noosa Council to the media.
In a letter to Mr Bristow, Noosa Council CEO Brett de Chastel said Council was currently focussing on local government issues “that we have jurisdiction over”.
“We leave the Commonwealth to focus on their issues and the State to focus on their issues,” the letter said.
“Laws about marriage equality is not a local government matter.”
Mr de Chastel wrote that since de-amalgamation, Council has had no “spare time” to consider “non-council issues”, which is not likely to change in the future.
“We are simply focussed on delivering local government services to our community since our reestablishment last year,” he said.
“You shouldn’t take this as the council either agreeing or not agreeing with what you are trying to achieve.”
Mr Bristow said he is “outraged” by the response from Noosa Council and has labelled council’s alleged refusal to hold a vote on the motion as “stonewalling”.
Mr Bristow said he has gained support since the story first broke in local media and awareness marches are planned for the coming weeks.
“This is only the start of the campaign,” he said.
