The new Tablelands Regional Council - three of the major concerns

While out and about, three of the major concerns I hear from you are:

Will the new super council buy anything locally?

I have been attending the local Transition Committee meetings, and I can report that most systems will be very functional, although not perfect, for the new Tablelands Regional Council to continue business as usual on 17th March. There will be a lot of new policies and recommendations for the new council to consider.

A new “Procurement Policy” is being written and it supports buying from local businesses. It includes a “local buy” percentage range so the council worker needing a part in Ravenshoe does not have to make a dash to the central store in say Mareeba. It makes all sorts of sense to buy locally and keep the money circulating in our small towns.

Will projects like sewerage in Malanda continue to go ahead?

The Malanda sewerage project has been promised by Eacham Shire Council and monies have been set aside for this project. However, this planned use can be overturned by the new council. I am committed to bringing sewerage to Malanda at minimal cost, and will push for this project to be honoured by the new council.

Will there be a regional bias towards Mareeba?

Take the opportunity to assess the Mayoral candidates for yourselves. Two important public forum events are on this week: Wednesday 5th March, 7.30pm at Malanda Show Pavillion, and Thursday 6th March, 7pm at Millaa Millaa Hotel.

Whichever part of the tablelands he comes from, the Mayor is the leader of our Tablelands Regional Council. Like the Prime Minister, the new Mayor will decide where he sets up the Mayor’s office, and he will have a lot of influence over which direction the new local government takes.

“Authorised R J Sorensen 122 Anderson Road, Malanda for R J Sorensen (Candidate).”

Clarify a few questions for Division 3 voters

On March 15^th you will have to choose a new councilor and a new mayor to represent you on the Tablelands Regional Council for the next four years. Although we may not have wanted it, the new super council will replace the Eacham, Atherton, Herberton and Mareeba Shire Councils on that day. Voting day is just over two weeks away now, and I am finding that a lot of people are still very confused about the whole process, so I decided to devote this column to helping clarify a few questions for Division 3 voters.

Which division am I in?

All Eacham Shire residents will now be in either Division 3 or Division 4 of the new Tablelands Regional Council. Eacham Times has agreed to print the map of the whole region showing all 8 divisions this week. More detailed maps of Division 3 and Division 4 will be printed in this section before the election. All electors should soon receive a letter from the Electoral Commission to inform them which division they are in and where and how they can vote. Check which electorate you are in www.ecq.qld.gov.au

Where do I go to vote?

Division 3 voters will be able to vote at Millaa Millaa and Malanda State Schools. They may also use the Yungaburra School polling booth. You may qualify for a Postal Vote, Electoral Visit Vote, or a Pre Polling Vote. More information is available from Eacham Shire Council office in Malanda, Post Offices, QGAP office or the Electoral Commission website www.ecq.qld.gov.au

How do I contact the new council with concerns?

Tablelands Regional Council will come into existence on 15^th March. All of the current council offices, and the employees will continue to be available to help with any matters that come up after the election. Ian Church, interim CEO of Tablelands Regional Council, will insert a list of all necessary phone numbers in the Tablelander and Advertiser in the next couple of weeks. 1300 numbers may be available when the new phone systems are installed.

“Authorised R J Sorensen 122 Anderson Road, Malanda for R J Sorensen (Candidate).”

Fair and equitable council decision making

Over half of the residents of the current Eacham Shire live outside the towns. This means that there is huge numbers of families and people who have to continually use their cars to get anywhere. If there were a structured system of bikeways and walkways, people could choose to leave their cars in the garage and ride into town, or to their friends place. A dad from out towards Lake Eacham explained that it is the safety of riding on the roads that worries him. It is so necessary on many fronts to have safe walk/ bikeways around our towns.

As your elected councillor I will fiercely promote fair and equitable council decision making for all division 3 communities. The new Tablelands Regional Council will need a strong united vision, supported by clear thinking strategies and action plans. We need intelligent considered decisions on matters that council is directly responsible for like local roads, water, sewerage, rubbish, parks, public spaces and halls.

“Authorised R J Sorensen 122 Anderson Road, Malanda for R J Sorensen (Candidate).”

It’s about community…

I was speaking to someone living out near the Maallan and she was saying how great it is to have the shops in Millaa Millaa. She talked about how easy it is to nip in there to get fuel or supplies and that it would be a real shame if the town was left to slowly die.

It is so important to help pioneer towns like Millaa Millaa retain their character, and return to playing an important role in the district. Millaa Millaa has a robust community who care strongly about their town. You only have to look at the number of Australia Day awards that went to the good people of Millaa Millaa last week.

I am putting my hand up to represent this area in the new supercouncil. I want to make sure that Millaa Millaa and our smaller communities like Tarzali, Butchers Creek, Jaggan and Topaz are never forgotten.

“Authorised R J Sorensen 122 Anderson Road, Malanda for R J Sorensen (Candidate).”