The Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) has released the results of a vote on a proposed boundary change that would see three Livingstone Shire Council (LSC) suburbs come under the control of Rockhampton Regional Council (RCC).
Rockhampton Mayor, Tony Williams, has claimed victory following months of committed campaigning by both councils.
“These results confirm that residents in Rockhampton and the Northern Suburbs support a boundary re-alignment, with 78% and 58% respectively voting yes,” Mayor Williams said.
“This is four times now in less than a decade that Northern Suburbs residents have voted to officially be part of our community.
“Largely this formalises what we already know – those on the Capricorn Coast oppose the change, while our community and those residents at the heart of this issue support it.”
Of those enrolled to vote, 32.2% participated in the survey asking whether Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview should stay under the umbrella or LSC or move to RRC – with 58% of survey participants living in the three suburbs supporting the move.
It also recorded that almost 78% of RRC survey participants supported the northern suburbs joining the council.
Meanwhile in Livingstone, 95% of participants said they didn’t want the proposed boundary change.
“We do genuinely believe that the development we have planned for these suburbs will ultimately benefit everyone across both local government areas by creating more jobs, businesses and opportunities,” said Mayor Williams.
The Mayor said the Local Government Change Commission has advised Council it intends to complete its report and recommendation by the end of October this year.
“We started this process in good faith, and from here we remain willing and eager to work with the State Government and Livingstone Shire Council to find the best path forward together so that both our communities can continue to grow,” he said.
Meanwhile, Livingstone Mayor, Andy Ireland has called on Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister, Steven Miles, to heed the survey results.
“Deputy Premier Steven Miles insisted that we proceed with the boundary change survey in June and the results are loud and clear – ‘Leave Livingstone Alone!’” he said.
“Twenty-two percent of Rockhampton respondents sided with Livingstone in opposing the change, so the results speak for themselves,” Mayor Ireland said.
Mayor Ireland also pointed to the increase of respondents from the three suburbs who opposed the change, as further evidence that sentiment has shifted in these localities from previous surveys.
“As more time passes from when the idea of a boundary change was originally discussed by the former Mayors, residents have begun to realise that there is no need to change the boundaries.
“There are no winners from this boundary review exercise, but maybe these survey results are a win for common sense?” he said.
