Weekly column from Council Courier e-newsletter by CEO Greg Hallam, Friday 18 March 2016
It is tempting to write a eulogy for the 2012-16 term of local government but I won’t fall into that trap. I will just simply observe it was the period where councils won back the trust and confidence of their communities, following the tumult of amalgamations.
Our polling of community attitudes, performed every two years since 1997, accurately measures that positive shift in sentiment.
Tomorrow’s election results will reflect that rapprochement.
It will be a normal election outcome with around 40 percent turnover, bearing in mind half of that change is due to the voluntary retirement of mayors and councillors and the tragic loss of the late Steve Jones.
The electoral outcome I'm predicting will happen despite the attempts of State MP Rob Pyne and others to besmirch that record in the final weeks of the four year term. There is no systemic corruption in our sphere of government. We certainly aren't perfect, but corrupt? No. That is why only 12 people turned up to Mr Pyne's anti-council rally outside Parliament House this week.
Clearly, we need changes to the laws and systems that allow good community minded sitting mayors and councillors to be slandered, defamed and vilified during the election campaign period. For its part the LGAQ will fully explore the option of appointing an independent Election Monitor.
One other aspect of this election that deserves recognition is the remarkable change in the way people are choosing to lodge their vote.
The ECQ tells us that there have been 200,983 pre-poll ballots lodged so far, confirming that pre-polling is rapidly growing as a popular voting option. Yesterday alone saw more than 38,600 people lodge pre-poll votes around Queensland, a record.
At Brisbane City Hall yesterday, no less than 3370 people lined up to fill their ballot papers. There have also been 340,000 postal votes issued.
Finally, well done to those mayors and councillors retiring and the best of luck to those of you recontesting your posts, not to forget those folk elected unopposed and the good people of Lockyer Valley who will go to the polls on 16 April.
We start all over again on Monday and the LGAQ will be here to defend and promote our sphere of government - the one that really matters to voters - as well as advising, assisting and helping our member councils on a daily basis.