‘Meaningless and Undemocratic: Council slams proposed plebiscite over how the votes will be counted

An urgent meeting has been called by the District Council of Grant after it was revealed the state government's proposed plebiscite would heavily favor Mount Gambier city residents.

A mayor candidate for the District Council of Grant has held an urgent meeting calling on the government “to bring an immediate stop to the proposal to hold a plebiscite as part on the upcoming council elections”.

DC Grant residents voiced fears at a community forum on Wednesday about their vote being diluted if combined with Mount Gambier City residents.

Their fears were confirmed shortly after the meeting at Port MacDonnell when Minister Geoff Brock told the Mount Gambier News “a simple majority of over 50 per cent of all votes on the plebiscite across both councils will be considered a positive response”.

The District Council of Grant have held an emergency meeting after details were revealed about how the state government will measure its proposed plebiscite. Picture: Arj Ganesan

DC Grant mayor candidate Kylie Boston slammed the policy and called on Premier Peter Malinauskas to shelve the bill.

“The present proposal means that any vote in the district is totally meaningless and undemocratic,” she said.

“It means that the way the city votes will determine the outcome no matter how our ratepayers vote.

“In effect says larger urban councils can use their numbers to gobble up rural councils whenever they choose.

“This needs to be stopped right now. The premier must call an immediate withdrawal of this totally undemocratic heavy-handed state dictated process.”

At yesterday’s forum former DC Grant Mayor Don Pegler said the plebiscite should only be considered successful if a majority from both council districts voted yes.

“Forget about putting all the votes together because that just doesn't work — its got to be within that council area,” he said.

On Wednesday, Local Government Minister Geoff Brock hit back at critics who slammed the government for how it introduced the bill.

Geoff Brock, Premier Peter Malinauskas and Attorney-General Kyam Maher at the Royal Show. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Mr Brock said he would have thought a plebiscite was the “most democratic way to do it”.

“We thought that was the best way — to ask the people themselves — what do they want to do with their community,” he said.

Mr Brock said if the plebiscite successfully passed through parliament there would be further community consultation after the SA Productivity Commission produced its findings.

Prior to the March state election, Mr Malinauskas had mended a number of fences, with promised big spending and a platform of listening to the South East.

Ms Boston said the latest actions of the government had been “disappointing”.

“You would have hoped that he’s had some conversations at a council level at a very minimum to have some heads up about all of this and what his plans were,” she said.

Regional shadow minister Nicola Centofanti and local government shadow minister Sam Telfer held two community forums in the Limestone Coast on Wednesday.

Regional shadow minister regional South Australia Nicola Centofanti and local government shadow minister Sam Telfer speaking at a community forum in Port MacDonnell. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Mr Telfer slammed the government for “rushing” this bill through parliament to save roughly $40,000.

“A much smarter strategic position (would be) to have this separated from the local government elections — we’re talking $40,000 — (to) create so much more clarity,” Mr Telfer said.

Mrs Centofanti said the main takeaway from Wednesday’s forums was residents want “to make sure that this vote is representative of both councils”.

The bill has passed in the lower House and is set to be debated in the Legislative Council next week, with an aim to hold the plebiscite at the same time as the local government elections in November.