By JONATHON HOWARD
THE battle to expand Noosa’s boundary has entered a new phase this week after the Noosa Council was called upon to publicly back the EDV re-boundary bid.
Noosa councillors will this week consider a submission from the EDV Residents Group Inc seeking support for a boundary re-alignment to include Eumundi, Doonan, Verrierdale, Weyba Downs and Peregian Beach (west) into Noosa Council.
The letter was submitted by EDV Residents Group Inc president Johanne Wright and details the formation of the group in 2004 and its total membership of 230, with a further 890 residents on the EDV email database.
Ms Wright said the EDV Group was seeking a “public statement of support” from the Noosa Council which would form an “essential” part of the submission to the minister.
The recommendation before councillors has four sections two of which includes: recognise that proposed boundary change issues should be initiated by the local community that is affected by the proposed change and if the change was to occur Noosa Council would welcome the EDV community to Noosa.
The EDV Group is facing an uphill battle against the Sunshine Coast Council, who is determined to block the re-boundary bid, while The Sunshine Coast Alliance Inc has also stepped up its campaign to block the move.
Meanwhile, Minister for Local Government David Crisafulli made headlines last month after he circulated a letter which at first appeared to quash the re-boundary bid.
Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly told media sources that any re-boundary bid would “only proceed with the support of both councils”.
However, Ms Wright supported the EDV’s case for a boundary change by referring to the 2005 doorknock campaign which, she said, covered an estimated 85 per cent of all residents in the EDV suburbs.
“EDV found that 80 per cent of residents supported a boundary change, together with the majority of local businesses,” she wrote.
The EDV Group also commissioned an indicative survey this year which was carried out by market research company D-Sipher.
“EDV believes that this survey showed a commonality of interest with the Noosa Shire and confirmed the very high support for boundary realignment,” Ms Wright wrote.
“Clearly for EDV to go ahead, we need support from the Noosa Council.”
Noosa councillors were expected to cast a final vote on the matter during council’s ordinary meeting on Thursday, 23 October.
