Council Divisions - The case against all in one-centralised electorate

Recently there has been a call from the Mayor for one Local Government electorate for Bundaberg Region.   It may be the Mayor Pyefinch has the financial resources as her disposal to cover the whole of the region to to spend in TV, Radio, print media, but will it be so with others to campaign as Councilors across the whole of the region.  The reality is that the cost of a candidate electioneering in the whole of the region is prohibitive majority of our community.

 

In a one size fits all - centralised - electorate for the Bundaberg Regional Council, the Bundaberg City population will draw the majority of councilors due to the shear weight of population numbers in the Bundaberg City area.  Communities such as Gin Gin, Woodgate, Childers, Rosedale, Bargara, and all in between, will be put at a disadvantage because of lack of numbers to elect a 'local' candidate whom understands their immediate community.

 

Through a one electorate system for the Bundaberg Region, the services of the Council will become increasingly centralised away from the coastal and hinterland areas due to Councilors interests being focused on Bundaberg City.  The parallel is that of City centric policies of any party of State Government where the majority of representatives are drawn from Metropolitan areas.

 

Normal everyday working folk whom have the interest of the community at heart to seek election to office, do not have large financial resources to engage in expensive TV, Radio, print media to get their message out to the whole of the region,

 

Through the Divisional system, 'local' candidates do have the local networking and close community resources of being known in their local communities to be able to seek support from those whom share their community living, without the large financial costs.

 

As I have stated previously,

 

"The most fairest form of voting process that would enable the greatest equity for the varying community interests, coastal, hinterland and metro' would be a reduced Divisional system, yet with multiple representatives elected."

 

"Of course part of the reform would be that elected Councilors must immediately cease any other income producing activity/employment and become 'full time' representatives enabling them to concentrate on what they are elected for, to 're-present' the electorates." 

 

 

This is my personal view.

 

Mal