Qld: Thousands rally against council mergers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2007
Qld: Thousands rally against council mergers

By Gabrielle Dunlevy

BRISBANE, Aug 3 AAP - Anger over the Queensland government's forced council reform
plans spilled on to the streets of Brisbane today, with more than 6,000 people protesting.

The biggest contingent came from Noosa shire, which would be merged with Maroochy and
Caloundra Shires to create a Sunshine Coast super-council.

Noosa residents believe the move would ruin the values of their coastal community,
such as its stance against high-rise development.

They were joined by busloads of protesters from rural areas, where it is feared council
mergers would take away much-needed jobs.

Prior to the rally, Premier Peter Beattie announced new laws to protect iconic areas
- like Noosa - based on state, national or international significance.

"Councils come and go, and indeed so do ministers, but having the protections of the
parliament through legislation - to change that you would need to change the law," he
said.

"So what we are doing is protecting these iconic parts of Queensland by law."

The law would require new regional councils to create new consolidated planning schemes
that combine former planning schemes into a single, cohesive document.

The government would ensure "local and regional values" were in the new consolidated
planning schemes.

Mr Beattie did not meet the crowd today, but representatives from his office accepted
a giant postcard.

It read: "Keep Noosa Noosa", and was signed by thousands who oppose the reforms.

Noosa mayor Bob Abbot said he had an obligation to keep fighting.

He said one elderly resident had donated his only savings - an amount of $250 - to
set up a fighting fund.

"It's a one million to one chance of winning this," he said.

"I will take this opportunity."

Mr Abbot warned there would be political consequences for the Labor Party, particularly
federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd, who grew up in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

"It's really unfortunate, because I would love to see a Sunshine Coaster as the prime
minister of this country," he said.

"But I say to Kevin 'Sorry, Kevin. I can't control it any more. It's out of my hands.

There's a significant backlash about what is happening to Noosa and what is happening
to Airlie Beach.'"

Queensland Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney said the rally had sent a message the government
could not ignore.

"The premier is desperate not to give these people a say - they had their say today
in the streets of Brisbane, it's a message that he couldn't stop, and he can't deny,"

he said.

Mr Seeney said today's announcement of legislation to protect iconic areas was motivated
by panic.

"There's an element of panic creeping into the premier's responses and I think as this
protest movement builds over the next few weeks, I think he will inevitably crumble,"

he said.

Greens Senate candidate Larissa Waters supported protesters' concerns that amalgamation
would harm the Noosa environment.

"Noosa is one of our most beautiful green areas in an urban centre, that could potentially
become a concrete jungle," she said.

AAP gd/pjo/cp/bwl

KEYWORD: COUNCILS RALLY LEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)

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