(Photo: Facebook)
Mayors from across the Wide Bay region will be meeting with Local Government Minister David Crisafulli tomorrow (June 5) to discuss decentralisation.
Wide Bay Burnett Regional Organisation of Councils (WBBROC) chairman Cr Mal Forman said moving public servants out of Brisbane offices and into regional locations would be a major discussion point at the meeting.
WBBROC will provide Mr Crisafulli with a confidential audit that highlights buildings and office space that are currently available in the Wide Bay Burnett region for immediate occupancy.
“We are keen to pursue partnership opportunities for decentralisation of government services and believe this initiative by WBBROC members dovetails perfectly with the State’s draft Queensland Plan,” Cr Forman said.
“Consultation on this plan found that there is a popular view that 50 per cent of the State’s population should be living outside South East Queensland within 30 years.
“This is a great preliminary target, and moving government offices out to the regions is a good start in achieving such a goal.”
Cr Forman said WBBROC believed the change could start immediately.
“If the government is committed to this then we are happy to be a pilot program to help the government start this change,” he said.
“A 50-50 population split between regional Queensland and the south-east corner would boost the economy of regions like the Wide Bay Burnett.”
