Submission for UNDIVIDED Council Elections
Let’s unite and grow the Whitsundays with the best people from our region
At present each councillor is elected by voters in just ONE division, yet then makes decisions for all SIX divisions. This is now up for change, so you can help us all count as one region.
Mackay region is undivided and so are 70% of Queensland’s regional councils – so why aren’t we?
The Council’s 12/5/21 agenda outlined numerous advantages of moving to an undivided region
WCC agrees with becoming undivided because change should improve local environmental outcomes.
If you agree with the points below, please complete the submission form.
- An undivided regional Council will allow you to vote for every Councillor, not just one of six.
- This would allow voters to contact any councillor with their concerns.
- Removing divisions promotes councillors addressing issues in the best interests of all residents of the Whitsundays, as opposed to a ‘my backyard/division’ approach.
- An undivided region allows voters to choose candidates based on their capabilities, not their location.
- If the change isn’t made now, it will be SIX YEARS before the opportunity for ALL of us to vote for ALL our councillors might come around again.
- 70% of Queensland councils, including Mackay, are undivided, why isn’t Whitsunday?
- Now you can only vote for ONE councillor in your own council division.
- Whitsunday has SIX separate council divisions.
- You can’t vote for the other five councillors.
- But these five councillors can, and do, vote on serious matters affecting all divisions including yours.
- With change, all six councillors will be answerable to the whole community and not just their own local support group.
- All candidates for the 2024 elections will need to make themselves known to the entire community.
- All candidates will need to convince us that they should be one of the six to gain the most votes across the whole Whitsunday region.
LAST DAY is Wednesday 30 March 2022
SUBMISSION FORM
TO: The Hon Dr Steven Miles, Deputy Premier & Minister for Local Government
I request the Minister refers a review of Whitsunday Regional Council’s Electoral Arrangements to the Change Commissioner, with the view to our region having the current six (6) divisions removed and instead becoming one “undivided” region for the 2024 and subsequent elections.