Local Council Amalgamations
The report of the Local Government Reform Comission has now been released and, as expected, Hervey Bay will be affected by changes that the Commission has recommended.
The report recommends that Hervey Bay be included in the Fraser Coast Regional Council. This council will include all parts of the current Hervey Bay City Council, the Maryborough City Council, Woocoo Shire and Divisions 1 and 2 of Tiaro Shire.
The Commission has recommended that the new council be an undivided regional council with 10 Councillors plus the Mayor. An undivided regional council is one where there are no wards and Councillors are elected on the basis of votes cast throughout the entire council area.
While the findings of the Commission may not sit well with some of the Councils - particularly Maryborough who would rather walk across hot coals than be included with Hervey Bay - the findings were what local businesses in both centres had hoped would happen.