August 16, 2012
Residents hoping to form a new Northern Downs Council have called on Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington to help them in their cause.
An information evening to discuss the proposal – which would create a new council from the former Rosalie and Crows Nest councils – was held in Crows Nest on Tuesday night.
Jeff Close, president of the Crows Nest and District Tourist and Progress Association, said more than 100 people attended, as well as Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio and councillors Nancy Sommerfield, John Gouldson and Anne Glasheen.
The two old shires would have to be excised from the Toowoomba Regional Council – and meet the State Government’s strict deadline and criteria for de-amalgamation – before an application could be made under the Local Government Act to change boundaries to form the new council.
The motion calling upon Mrs Frecklington to support the push received overwhelming support at the meeting.
The actual motion read: “That this meeting asks our local member Deb Frecklington to do all she can to help set up a sustainable Northern Downs Shire Council, made up largely of the former Crows Nest and Rosalie Shires, and that this be done at a reasonable cost”.
“It was all very good, very positive,” Mr Close told southburnett.com.au
“We emailed Deb about the motion and she’s written to (Local Government Minister) David Crisafulli asking for him to meet a delegation.”
Mr Close said Mayor Antonio had also been supportive, although he expressed the belief the de-amalgamation process had been set up to fail by the State Government.
Cr Antonio had asked his staff to provide the financial information that the group needed under the State Government guidelines to argue their case.
“This information arrived on Monday,” Mr Close said.
“We’re going to get something in (to the Boundaries Commission) before the deadline of August 29.”
The Crows Nest meeting was the first of a series which will be called across the two former shires.
“We were able to report on a series of strategies that will be used to ensure the area receives good local government services at a reasonable cost,” Mr Close said.
“These strategies all included working with the local Toowoomba Regional Council, and included using the current de-amalgamation process as well as the Local Government Act to change boundaries.
Mr Close said Craig Stibbard, from Highfields; Rod O’Connor, from the Gowrie Junction Progress Association; and Barry Sharpe from Crows Nest outlined the success of the petition which is currently circulating.
“We have about 45 per cent of eligible Crows Nest voters on the petition already,” Mr Sharpe said.
More signatures were added to the petition at Tuesday night’s meeting, and more petition sheets were taken to be distributed more widely.
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Following the meeting, Member for Nanango Frecklington wrote to Local Government Minister David Crisafulli:
“I have recently been in contact with Mr Jeff Close, President of the Crows Nest and District Tourist and Progress Association. Jeff is working with a coalition of residents from the former Crows Nest and Rosalie Shires in an effort to de-amalgamate from the Toowoomba Regional Council or review the Shire Boundaries.
“This issue was highlighted by the residents of these areas during the recent election campaign as one of the most important for the region and they have been fighting for some time to break away from Toowoomba to form a ‘Northern Downs Council’.
“The group held a public meeting on Tuesday, August 14, to discuss plans for de-amalgamation. During the meeting, a motion was passed: ‘That this meeting asks our local member, Deb Frecklington, to do all she can to help set up a sustainable Northern Downs Shire Council made up largely of the former Crows Nest and Rosalie Shires, and that this be done at a reasonable cost. This includes transfer of assets as at amalgamation and as paid for by those two communities’.
“With this in mind, I would like to request the following:
1. A meeting be arranged for Jeff Close and members of his group to talk with Minister Crisafulli in regards to the de-amalgamation of Rosalie and Crows Nest Shires as soon as practicable. Mr Close is able to meet in Brisbane.
As the timeframe for the Crows Nest/Rosalie groups draws nearer, there is some urgency in regards to this request. I look forward to your response in due course.”
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