Dear Editor
Although Campbell Newman’s address at the LGAQ Conference is like a breath of fresh air, he could have been more forceful.
Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, in his address at the recent LGAQ Conference, called for changes to the Local Government Act to give control back to Councillors and allow them to do the job they were elected to do.
Mr Newman stated that because of the requirements of the legislation, Councillors and Mayors are not in control, not even of council staff. They have been disempowered from representing rate payers.
He could have pointed out that it was not always the requirements of the legislation that caused the problem but also the interpretation. The interpretation the majority of our Councillors have applied has resulted in them ceding more and more power to council staff and thereby disempowering themselves from doing the job they were elected to do.
The Scenic Rim Regional Council has been working under this legislation and allowed this intolerable situation to deepen for nearly four years. Five of the seven Councillors have previous experience as councillors, so I ask the questions on behalf of the community:
“Did they not realise they were being “hamstrung”; and, “Why hasn’t something been done to change the situation before now”?
Two of the objectives I am standing for as candidate for Division 4 are “A return to Representative Democracy in Council” and “Reducing the power of the Bureaucrats”
Councillor Swanborough’s efforts to have the situation changed must be acknowledged, but unfortunately he has been a lone voice and out voted by his councillor colleagues.
Astrid Kennedy
Candidate for Division 4