Amalgamation still the word 20 years after Gold Coast City and Albert Shire councils merged

IT has been 20 years but the argument over whether the creation of the “super” Gold Coast City Council has been beneficial to the city goes on.

GC Council merge marks 20 years

IT has been 20 years but the argument over whether the creation of the “super” Gold Coast City Council has been beneficial to the city goes on.

Sunday marked 20 years since the amalgamation of the Gold Coast and Albert Shire councils became official.

The “super city” poll changed the city for ever as two councils created in 1948 were combined, with councillors who had just finished their 1994 campaigns forced to again face the electorate.

The decision, made in 1994 by Premier Wayne Goss’ Labor government, forced the councils to combine and pitted two mayors against each other — the Gold Coast’s Gary Baildon and Albert’s Ray Stevens.

On polling day, the Bulletin reported that polls suggested a cliffhanger result after Cr Stevens and Cr Baildon both spent between $100,000 and $200,000 on their campaigns.

Gold Coast Mayor Gary Baildon. 19 November 1994.

There were 48 candidates for the 15 council positions and with temperatures running, police were called in to ensure no violence broke out on polling day.

Mr Stevens, now the LNP’s state MP for Mermaid Beach, said the amalgamation of the councils was a significantly stressful period which caused great unrest in the city.

“I was vocal at the time that there were clear differences between the local authorities and I did not think a total amalgamation was the way to go,” he said.

“This caused a real us and them battle and pitted people against others which also caused concern for our staff, especially those who had to deal with the resistance from the population.

“Ultimately, I think Albert Shire was a highly efficient and effective local authority which did not have the infamous infighting of the Gold Coast City Council.

APRIL 27, 1995: News. Rescanned. Mayor Ray Stevens and Eddie Kornhauser dedicating the Holocaust Memorial. PicWayne Jones

“A lot of that was lost in the amalgamation and I think big is not necessarily always better.”

Cr Stevens eventually triumphed over Cr Baildon, as well as fellow candidates — “flamboyant” Cr Kerry Smith, Christian Jocumsen, Chris Beilby, Jeanie O’Kane and Stephen Shoard.

Ultimately, 13 of the councillors from both the former local governments were elected, along with one rookie, Eddy Sarroff.

Palm Beach’s Daphne McDonald was the city's biggest winner, securing a stunning 74.17 per cent of primary vote, beating her nearest rival by 60 per cent.

Among the losers of the amalgamation were veteran councillors Merv Craig (Albert), Tom Costigan (Albert), Keith Thompson (Gold Coast), Mike Witham (Albert) and the late Sue Robbins (Albert), all of whom lost their seats.

Costigan and Robbins later returned to the new council in 1997 with Cr Robbins serving in the division 14 until her death in 2004.

(L-R) Mayor Ray Stevens and finance chairman Alan Rickard launch Gold Coast City Council Budget. 8/7/96.

Following the amalgamation, the new Gold Coast City Council was officially created on March 22, 1995 but this was not the end of the battle.

Former mayor Lex Bell, who stood down from city hall in 1994 and returned to his former position as Surfers Paradise councillor, launched a long-running campaign against the amalgamation.

“I got 25,000 people to sign the petition and spent $30,000 of my own money to try and get the council de-amalgamated and the Local Government Minister of the day was astonished,” he said.

“Ultimately it was unsuccessful and I do not think the city was best served by it because the administration costs remain high to this day.”

Of those elected in 1995, four remain on council today — Jan Grew, Cr McDonald, Cr Bell and Dawn Crichlow.

After 20 years, incumbent mayor Tom Tate said he believed the amalgamation had been a success.

“It was a good decision for the city because there was real value for money in having one administration rather than two,” he said.