REDLAND City Council has ruled out publishing a series of maps showing options for carving up the city into new divisions.
Instead, council decided to publish the Local Government Act requirements about boundary redesigns.
The maps, drawn up by officers, are available on Redland City Bulletin’s website.
The decision was made despite a warning from Division 2 councillor Craig Ogilvie that the refusal would provoke community claims of gerrymandering.
Officers drew up 10 different maps, covering a range of scenarios including cutting the number of electorates from 10 to eight or six.
Division 1 councillor Wendy Boglary’s plea to get the maps, and any variations, published on the council website was rejected 6-5.
Mayor Karen Williams said boundary changes and the number of divisions was up to the state government and all council could do was make recommendations to a review panel.
She said she had not seen all the maps yet and wanted to study them before they were given to the public.
Cr Boglary said there should not be any opposition to her proposal as the scenario maps were made public when they were hung on council walls and in a story in the Redland City Bulletin.
She also questioned the March 1 timeframe and why the mayor had not yet studied the maps.
Cr Boglary called for a break with traditional process to allow the public to be consulted before council’s preferred options on divisions and the number of councillors were sent to the state.
In the past, the public was only able to comment on the council’s boundary amendments after state government sanctioned the changes.
“These changes are more significant than the minor boundary tweaks made in the past and therefore need greater consideration,” she said.
“In this case, we are thinking of changing not only divisional boundaries but also the number of councillors from 10 to eight.
“Some divisions could be impacted with 50 per cent of their area going into another division and full costings and impacts should be discussed.
“One of the proposed maps allows southern Moreton Bay island residents to join with North Stradbroke Island, to form their own island division, which is a big change.”
However, Division 6 councillor Julie Talty, who stands to gain ground after boundary realignments, said publishing the maps was premature and would “confuse the public”.
“I don’t see any value in putting out 15 possible reconfigurations of maps which, at the end of deliberations, have nothing to do with the decisions made,” she said.
“This is a matter of review and there are no decisions taken yet so there is nothing for the public to give feedback on. I do believe the community needs to understand the legislative process.”
Officers have until March 1 to submit a review of the city’s divisional boundaries to the state government.
The review, conducted every four years, ensures each division has an equal number of voters ahead of next year’s local government election, due around March.
A report, containing more than one option for boundary re-alignment, will be tabled in council next month, before being sent to the new Local Government Minister.
Council is likely to ask the Minister to order the Boundary Change Commissioner to call for community consultation.
Officer Nick Clarke said it would be prudent for council to include a 10-division option in any submission to the Local Government Minister, in case cutting back divisions is rejected.
