By JONATHON HOWARD
EDV Residents Group president Johanne Wright, has sought to answer a number of burning questions surrounding the boundary re-alignment bid.
Ms Wright sought to highlight many benefits of including Doonan, Eumundi, Verreridale and Weyba Downs into Noosa Council.
SURVEY RESULTS OF EDV RESIDENTS:
“In June, the EDV Residents Association commissioned an independent survey and independent analysis of demographic and other data to kick start a conversation with our local community about the level of community support for a boundary change,” Ms Wright said.
“This conversation initially started in 2004 way before amalgamation when over 83 per cent of residents were consulted about the benefits or otherwise of a boundary re-alignment.
“In 2005, 80 per cent of these residents indicated their support for a boundary change by signing a proforma letter, the wording of which was approved by the then Maroochy Council.
“The Minister re-iterated in January this year that there was some unfinished business regarding the boundaries and he would be prepared to consider this matter based on community views and the responses of both councils.
“There is a window of opportunity offered by the minister for this to be considered hence – ‘why now’.”
Ms Wright said a lot of time had transpired since the first comprehensive survey of residents and the fact that there has been a lot of people move in and out of our area.
“We purposively set about to re-start a discussion in our community to establish if there was still a similar level of commitment to a boundary change. We have been at pains to state over and over again that the initial survey is the start of a lengthy process of consultation,” she said.
“The final step in this lengthy process is the opportunity for all residents to have their say which will clearly enable every eligible resident in the area (people over 18 years of age who are registered to vote) to make their views known.
BENEFITS OF EDV JOINING NOOSA COUNCIL:
“One of the most important questions that people who are undecided or who are against the proposal ask is “what are the benefits?”. What is a benefit to one person may not sway another person as we are all rational people and will be influenced by a healthy degree of self-interest,” Ms Wright said.
“There are a number of benefits that have been articulated by people who support the change (above and beyond the shared links and sense of community with the Noosa Shire), a key one of which is the level of political representation – we are a very small two per cent of the Sunshine Coast Council population with almost no capacity to influence decision making, and this will only get worse and worse as some 212,000 extra people are accommodated to the south of us over the next decade or so.
“We would be a healthy 10 per cent of a Noosa Shire with more capacity to have our views well represented.”
Ms Wright said another key benefit was accessibility.
“Despite the best efforts of staff and councillors, accessing people in a very large council to have an issue resolved is much more challenging than in a smaller council – this has been well documented in academic studies and we have been given many anecdotal stories that also supports the same experience here,” she said.
“It has not been unknown for a staff member in the Sunshine Coast Council to not be aware of our suburb ‘where is Doonan?’ Costs are another major consideration – even a cursory look at the general rates of both councils shows that Noosa rates are lower, something that has historically been the case.
“Maintenance of assets is another key consideration – SCC’s budget figures suggest that our roads, footpaths and other infrastructure are not being maintained to the level needed – a far cry from Noosa who have significantly increased the level of maintenance in their recent budget.
“Focus on the south is another issue – there is so much growth planned for the Sunshine Coast that properly, the council must give a great deal of attention to what is happening there, the projects are massive and significant and must command an equally significant level of council attention – we have the potential to become a very small fish in a very, very large lake.
“Planning philosophy is a further consideration – the Sunshine Coast Council is strongly pro-development to build the “City of the Sunshine Coast” – nothing inherently wrong in that vision but most people who have come to live in our area support a rural residential lifestyle and protection of the unique characteristics of our many lovely small towns – something that is deeply embedded in Noosa’s planning philosophies and endorsed by its residents.”
COSTS OF EDV JOINING NOOSA COUNCIL:
What will a boundary change cost?
“Boundary changes are not infrequent and the Queensland Electoral Commission has a legislative responsibility to manage that process and has a budget for this to occur,” Ms Wright said.
“There is no mention or consideration by the State Government that residents will bear any cost for this.”
