QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT SET TO DEBATE HISTORIC LEGISLATION
Published Thursday, 09 August, 2007 at 12:22 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Minister for Local Government, Planning and Sport
The Honourable Andrew Fraser
The Local Government Reform Implementation Bill 2007 will pave the way for the most significant reform to Queensland councils in more than a hundred years, Premier Peter Beattie said today.
As debate on the legislation kicked off in Parliament, Mr Beattie said the reforms would provide the platform for an economic and development boom across regional Queensland.
“This Bill is a blueprint for the future,” Mr Beattie said.
“It will reduce existing councils from 156 to 72, cut the number of existing politicians by 724 and create a new class of regional councils.
“Stronger sustainable councils will mean more jobs, more opportunities and a brighter future for communities currently serviced by small and financially weak councils.”
Mr Beattie said the Queensland Parliament was the proper forum for debate over the reforms.
“This is a State issue - not a national one,” he said.
“It is clear John Howard is desperate if he has to try to buy-in into our reform issue by making taxpayers around the country foot the bill for costly referenda.
“All Queenslanders were given the opportunity to have their say by providing a submission to the Local Government Reform Commission. In addition, councils also had the opportunity to hold referendums during the Size, Shape and Sustainability program.
“Therefore, thanks to the silly stunt by John Howard we will amend the Bill today to provide for the immediate dismissal of any council which goes ahead with plans for a poll or referendum or plebiscite.
“I will not allow Councils to waste taxpayers money – even if John Howard does think it is a good idea.
“Running referendums in affected Councils could cost more than $10 million and that is an extraordinary waste for something that will have absolutely no impact.”
Minister for Local Government, Andrew Fraser, said councils would not be able to take any action to request, arrange or cause a poll to be conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission or any other entity.
“Staging a referendum will be an explicit trigger for immediate dismissal of individual councils,” Mr Fraser said.
“If a council has already started a poll they must take all necessary steps to ensure that the poll does not go ahead and they must inform ratepayers that it will not go ahead.
“If a council declines to desist and goes ahead with plans for referendums, they will be dismissed without notice.
“Administrators will be appointed to any councils that are dismissed.”
Mr Fraser said it was not a step he took lightly but John Howard’s intervention had been the catalyst for the urgent amendments.
“The conduct of referenda is a waste of public money – it doesn’t happen for state and federal boundaries and it shouldn’t happen at a local government level,” Mr Fraser said.
“The vast majority of Councils had already indicated they were not going to proceed with any referenda but Mr Howard’s silly stunt may have given some false hope.
“The boundaries have been determined by an independent Commission and we will not let Queenslanders be used as pawns in a political game played by an increasingly desperate Prime Minister.”
Mr Fraser said history shows that reform provides better local government.
“There has only ever been three votes on council amalgamations in Queensland – all three were for de-amalgamation and all three failed,” he said.
9 August, 2007
Further inquiries: Premier’s Office: 3224 4500
Minister’s Office: 3227 8825
As debate on the legislation kicked off in Parliament, Mr Beattie said the reforms would provide the platform for an economic and development boom across regional Queensland.
“This Bill is a blueprint for the future,” Mr Beattie said.
“It will reduce existing councils from 156 to 72, cut the number of existing politicians by 724 and create a new class of regional councils.
“Stronger sustainable councils will mean more jobs, more opportunities and a brighter future for communities currently serviced by small and financially weak councils.”
Mr Beattie said the Queensland Parliament was the proper forum for debate over the reforms.
“This is a State issue - not a national one,” he said.
“It is clear John Howard is desperate if he has to try to buy-in into our reform issue by making taxpayers around the country foot the bill for costly referenda.
“All Queenslanders were given the opportunity to have their say by providing a submission to the Local Government Reform Commission. In addition, councils also had the opportunity to hold referendums during the Size, Shape and Sustainability program.
“Therefore, thanks to the silly stunt by John Howard we will amend the Bill today to provide for the immediate dismissal of any council which goes ahead with plans for a poll or referendum or plebiscite.
“I will not allow Councils to waste taxpayers money – even if John Howard does think it is a good idea.
“Running referendums in affected Councils could cost more than $10 million and that is an extraordinary waste for something that will have absolutely no impact.”
Minister for Local Government, Andrew Fraser, said councils would not be able to take any action to request, arrange or cause a poll to be conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission or any other entity.
“Staging a referendum will be an explicit trigger for immediate dismissal of individual councils,” Mr Fraser said.
“If a council has already started a poll they must take all necessary steps to ensure that the poll does not go ahead and they must inform ratepayers that it will not go ahead.
“If a council declines to desist and goes ahead with plans for referendums, they will be dismissed without notice.
“Administrators will be appointed to any councils that are dismissed.”
Mr Fraser said it was not a step he took lightly but John Howard’s intervention had been the catalyst for the urgent amendments.
“The conduct of referenda is a waste of public money – it doesn’t happen for state and federal boundaries and it shouldn’t happen at a local government level,” Mr Fraser said.
“The vast majority of Councils had already indicated they were not going to proceed with any referenda but Mr Howard’s silly stunt may have given some false hope.
“The boundaries have been determined by an independent Commission and we will not let Queenslanders be used as pawns in a political game played by an increasingly desperate Prime Minister.”
Mr Fraser said history shows that reform provides better local government.
“There has only ever been three votes on council amalgamations in Queensland – all three were for de-amalgamation and all three failed,” he said.
9 August, 2007
Further inquiries: Premier’s Office: 3224 4500
Minister’s Office: 3227 8825