LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION FOR REDLAND CITY COUNCIL WILL BRING ABOUT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE
Islanders, the Redlands and every Local Government council in Queensland go to the polls on Saturday, March 16.
For islanders, there will be three separate elections.
One will be the election for Mayor with three candidates going for the position left vacant by outgoing Mayor Karen Williams, who has decided not to stand after more than 20 years on Redland City Council; the last 12 years as Mayor.
Three candidates will be seeking the Mayoral role with Jos Mitchell, former Federal Member for Bowman Andrew Laming, and Cindy Corrie fighting out for the vacant position.
The other elections that impact our islands are for Division 2 (Straddie), Division 4 (Coochiemudlo) and Division 5 (The four SMB Islands)
Two incumbents are standing again in Division 2 (Peter Mitchell) and Division 4 (Lance Hewlett) with a fresh young face in Division 4, Angel Crowden, creating plenty of interest.
In Division 5, it is an open field following the retirement of long-service and popular Councillor Mark Edwards, with two islanders among the candidates, Shane Rendalls and Hilton Travis.
All of these divisions are split divisions between the mainland and the islands.
It means whoever is the councillor in those divisions, they will find it difficult to fulfil a divided role.
Divisions 2 and 4 have populations heavily favouring the mainland, whilst the opposite is now the case in Division 5, but it wasn’t always that way.
All of this is well and good, but it raises an interesting argument for the future.
Is it time that council divisions are adjusted so the islands are a completely separate division?
Those of us on the islands know that there is absolutely no comparison to living on the islands compared to the mainland.
For many reasons, the six islands should be a special ‘island division’.
It is also another reason why our six islands, and any other Queensland island for that matter, should be classified ‘remote’.
The formula for assessing ‘remoteness’ is based on ‘closeness’ to populations centres.
It doesn’t seem to matter if the area you live on is surrounded by water and is officially an ‘island’.
That should be all that matters, but apparently it doesn’t matter at all when it comes to Government classification.
As for the Saturday March 16 election, we are not going to tell you who to vote for.
What we are suggesting is that you do your ‘homework’, and vote for people with clear ability who you know will put our islands ‘first’.
What is apparent is that we are in for some significant change!