Ipswich City councillor David Morrison calls for better solution than sacking the council

Ipswich City councillor David Morrison has urged the State Government to consider ratepayers’ rights in the wake of the government’s plan to sack the council.

Cr David Morrison with grandchildren (who all live in Ipswich City) Judah, Matilda, Hope and Eden overlooking Orion Lagoon. Photo: Alex Moore

Ipswich City councillor David Morrison (division one) has come out fighting for ratepayers rights after the State Government’s plan to sack the Ipswich City Council with an Act of Parliament next month.

“I would prefer to see some form of supervisory role appointed with the councillors able to continue to represent their divisions,” Cr Morrison said.

“Nearly two years is too long for people to be without representation.

“If we are dismissed there will be no direct representation for the community for nearly two years, when we go, the representation goes.”

The comments were made in response to the State Government’s decision to introduce legislation to sack the Ipswich City Council and appoint an administrator next month.

The move comes after corruption charges were laid against 12 people from the council, including former mayor Paul Pisasale and two council CEOs.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said if the laws were passed, it would mean an administrator would run the council until the next local government elections in March 2020.

“As councillors, we wanted to take them to court, we didn’t see any other avenue, and we had a strong case to take to court,” he said.

“Councillors were prepared to abide by the court decision, but it is unfair to dismiss us.”

Cr Morrison said he strongly rejected any criticism of the council’s performance economically.

“Ipswich is in a sound position, with some of the highest growth in recent quarters,” he said.

“Businesses are moving in. It’s very healthy.

“Most cities would envy our growth.”

He said the value of elected representation to ratepayers had not been sufficiently considered in the government’s decision.

“Councillors don’t always make just a safe decision. We make decisions based on what the community needs.”

He said a good example was the Orion Lagoon at Springfield which, on a purely business basis, would never have been built.

“Instead we made a council decision to build it and maintain it, and it’s been an amazing asset to that community,” he said.

Orion Lagoon, Springfield, in full swing on a hot January day. Photo: AAP/Steve Pohlner

“We thought there would be 100,000 visitors in the first year. Instead, it was about 400,000 according to the lifesavers who do an hourly count.

“It has an ongoing economic benefit with shops at Orion Springfield Central doing increased business.

“I doubt an administrator in 2015 or 2016 would have made that decision to build.”

Cr Morrison said that despite the costs, the council had deserved a day in court.

“Everything has a cost, we don’t know what the administration will look like but it’s going to have a cost too, and the ratepayers will have to pay for it.”

Cr Morrison said he thought it was appropriate for people to stand aside if charges were laid against them, but there must also be a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.

“We have been unfairly tarred,” Cr Morrison said.

He has dismissed suggestions that all the councillors should have been aware there were possible problems.

“In anyone’s family or workplace there are things you don’t know about,” he said.

“You have to take people to be honest.

“I was unaware of any corruption, and I still don’t know what all the charges are.

“We read what we see in the paper.

“To say we should be aware of people’s personal lives is unfair - and no one has had their day in court yet.”

Cr Morrison said he had been an elected representative for 18 years and had previously been a teacher.

“At the last elections, I received 78.9 per cent of the vote.

“You put your heart and soul into the community, and I’ve never been dismissed from anything in my life.”

Cr Morrison said he had been a teacher before his election to the council and would possibly look at reinstating his teacher registration and becoming a relief teacher.