Qld: South-east votes against council amalgamations

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2007
Qld: South-east votes against council amalgamations

South-east Queenslanders .. subject to council mergers .. have voted overwhelmingly
against the reforms in voluntary ballots.

Votes have been held in Caboolture .. Caloundra .. Pine Rivers .. Gold Coast .. Noosa
and Redcliffe .. with ballots in rural Queensland to close on Friday.

Results for four council areas have been announced.

In Noosa .. where a highly-organised anti-amalgamation campaign was run .. more than
22 thousand people voted.

96 per cent wer against the impending merge with Caloundra and Maroochy councils to
form a Sunshine Coast super council.

In Redcliffe more than 21 thousand people voted .. with 87 per cent against amalgamation
with Pine Rivers and Caboolture.

Their neighbours felt the same way .. with 74 per cent in Pine Rivers and 68 per cent
in Caboolture against the move.

But the polls won't affect the state government's decision to go ahead with the amalgamations
and Premier ANNA BLIGH has urged communities to accept the changes.







She says the legislation has been passed .. and there'll be an election in March on
the new boundaries.

Local Government Association of Queensland executive director GREG HALLAM says the
votes might not be binding .. but will come back to haunt the government at the next election.

AAP RTV gd/pjo/bart

KEYWORD: COUNCILS (BRISBANE)

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