|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Friday, 28 September 2007 |
Despite the combination of Maroochy and Caloundra local authority areas
under the new Sunshine coast Regional Council, the Blackall range
remains in two pieces following the release of the divisional map by
the Electoral Commission of Queensland. Under the old boundaries
Montville Flaxton and Mapleton were in the Maroochy council area,
while Maleny, Conondale and Kenilworth were in Caloundra.
But divisional boundary planners have failed to grasp the chance to unify the Blackall Range, with Maleny, Montville and the southern half of Flaxton in the new division 5, and the northern half of Flaxton, Mapleton and Kenilworth in the new division 10.
Maleny based councillor Dick Newman felt the Caloundra and Maroochy CEO’S got it right in their submissions, which put the whole of the Blackall Range and most of the Mary Valley in the one division. “But that wasn’t to be. The Electoral Commission got it wrong in my opinion and I don’t see any avenue of appeal,” Mr Newman said. “The only hope appears to be that it can be rectified when the SCRC gets the chance to restructure boundaries for the election in 2012.”
Mayors had mixed views about the new map. Maroochy’s Joe Natoli was the happiest, while Caloundra’s Don Aldous would rather the council operated with no divisions. Acting Noosa mayor Lou Brennan said the council’s fortunes had been reduced and there was a real chance of councillor’s jobs being reduced to jobs of very little responsibility.
Mr Natoli said he was “quite pleased” with the boundaries. “It has six divisions with a rural component- that’s a balance of six to six,” he said.
Mr Aldous said he could not see communities of interest in many areas, with many “way out of kilter”. Division 1 goes from Peachester to (the proposed) Kawana Hospital,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense.”
|
Range News 2005 - ON 
