Govt chief hears of pay rise anger over suspended councillors

A group of angry ratepayers, who say they have been neglected after their councillor was suspended, have been granted a top-level hearing with state officials.

A GROUP of ratepayers who say they have been neglected after their elected councillor was suspended last year, have been given a top-level government hearing.

Residents of Logan City Council’s Division 6, which covers Bethania and Holmview, discussed their lack of representation when they met Local Government Director General Warwick Agnew last week.

Mr Agnew was told how ratepayers had not had a voting council representative since Cr Stacey McIntosh was suspended in May following fraud charges.

● WE WANT OUR OWN COUNCILLOR ● ELDERLY OUTRAGE OVER CREMATORIUM

Local Government Director General Warwick Agnew listened to ratepayers’ grievances over lack of representation.

He told the delegation, the role of Logan City councillors was to vote in the best interests of the whole city and not just in the interests of their own back yards.

Vocal advocate for the area Bethania resident Diana Howes, an ardent opponent to an approved crematorium in her neighbourhood, said the meeting was productive.

“We maintain that the vote on the crematorium was not in the best interest of the city and certainly not in the best interest of Division 6 — and we still have nearly another year of decisions before council elections,” she said.

“It is timely that councillors be given a reminder about their responsibilities, which we have asked Minister Stirling Hinchliffe to do.”

Division 6 advocate Diana Howes met with the Director General Warwick Agnew last week.

Logan City Council said divisional funding allocations for Division 6 were made for the current financial year with one further matter to be determined next week.

The delegation also raised the issue of a recommended 2.1 per cent pay rise for Cr McIntosh and mayor Luke Smith, also suspended on full pay in May, while he faced perjury charges.

Ms Howes said she believed it would be unfair if either of the suspended councillors received the pay rise.

Council said it did not decide on councillor pay rises, which the independent Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal did in November.

An extension to Holmview Central Shopping Centre to include cinemas was another issue the group raised with the Director General.

● HOLMVIEW v BEENLEIGH

Ms Howes said council had opposed the initial plans, claiming cinemas in Holmview would pose too much competition for a similar complex to be built in Beenleigh, less than 10km away.

Council said no decision had been made about the Holmview cinemas with public submission period closing tomorrow, April 12.

“The applicant responded to council’s request for further information on March 15,” council said. “Officers are still assessing the application.

“An economic need and impact assessment has been submitted by the applicant for

the proposed development.

“The purpose of this assessment is to determine whether or not the proposed development will have any unacceptable impacts on the existing centres within surrounding areas.

“This has been subject to peer review.”

Residents also met with the state Shadow Attorney-General David Janetzki and federal LNP MP Bert van Manen last month.