Rockhampton and Livingstone Shire Council boundary debate heats up after petition launches

The boundary battle between Rockhampton Regional Council and Livingstone Shire Council has heated up into a war of words, with the Rockhampton Deputy Mayor saying he felt “disrespected” when shadow ministers visited the town earlier in the week. Here’s what they had to say.

Rockhampton Regional Council Deputy Mayor Neil Fisher has slammed a petition that was started to stop the vote on the Rockhampton and Livingstone Boundary change.

The boundary battle between Rockhampton Regional Council and Livingstone Shire Council has heated up into a war of words as voting gets closer.

RRC Deputy Mayor Neil Fisher slammed a petition that was started by Opposition spokeswoman for Local Government Ann Leahy and Opposition spokesman for Small and Family Business Brent Mickelberg, calling for the boundary review of the Northern suburbs to stop.

Cr Fisher said it was also “disrespectful” their Tuesday media conference was held outside Town Hall, with neither Shadow Minister approaching RRC for its side of the story.

“I’m not going to mince my words. They should hang their heads in shame...I have never, ever felt more disrespected than by the shadow minister,” he said.

“When I was talking to other mayors and councillors around regional Queensland most have been horrified that a shadow minister comes into a local authority and not even inform them they were coming on local government business, let alone to do a protest against that council.

“Have you ever heard of any other shadow minister ever doing that before?”

Mr Fisher said the boundary debate shouldn’t have become political and that it should be about listening to the people.

Shadow Local Government Minister Ann Leahy at Rockhampton.

“It should have been about listening to the people who want to come back to Rockhampton...unfortunately what has happened is none of the people around this debate want to listen,” he said.

“Rockhampton Regional Council, the mayor and councillors are listening to those people because they are our people, many of them there were caught up in the stupid mess that was started in de-amalgamation.

“They bought properties in an area that was Rockhampton Regional Council, they invested in their future and their future as a citizen of the Rockhampton region.”

Rockhampton region Mayor Tony Williams said despite claims Livingstone Shire Council would be financially unsustainable should Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview return to RRC, it wasn’t the case.

“Queensland Treasury Corporation have undertaken a financial assessment of both councils and it’s clear both councils would remain financially sustainable going forward, should those suburbs transfer across to Rockhampton,” he said.

“Assuming the change does happen at the 2024 election, Livingstone is shown to post surpluses every year from 2025.

Rockhampton Regional Council Deputy Mayor Neil Fisher has slammed a petition that was started to stop the vote on the Rockhampton and Livingstone Boundary change.

“So even with the transfer of these suburbs, Livingstone remains in a good financial position. To say otherwise is not a true representation of the facts.

“In contrast, in those six years and with a successful transfer of the suburbs, Rockhampton is only forecast to have a surplus in 2030-31.”

Mr Williams said RRC made an offer to Livingstone Shire Council that 50 per cent of rates from Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview would be given to them for 10 years if the boundary change happened.

But he said the offer was “flatly rejected”.

“We were happy to sit down and negotiate but they’ve just said ‘leave Livingstone alone’,” he said.

“We believe that was a fair offer and something there, that we believe could soften the financial impact to the Livingstone Shire Council should those suburbs come across.

“Our future and our growth is in that corridor...we can’t go south to the flood plains or into the Berserker ranges, it’s just not sustainable so our progression is naturally to the north.

“We’re investing in the infrastructure for the growth in the future, our pensioners and ratepayers are paying for that, yet we’re not getting a return from a growth corridor, their money is being spent on the coast to prop up their infrastructure.”

Livingstone Shire Council mayor Andy Ireland said the statement by RRC on Thursday was a “smoke screen” saying LSC was rated as “financially weak” according to criteria used by state agencies to monitor the performance of local governments.

“Rockhampton Regional Council’s media statement is a smoke screen to distract the community from the issue at hand: why should the residents of Livingstone Shire be financially disadvantaged by a blatant land grab by Rockhampton,” he said.

“Our position has always been that it makes absolutely no sense to make a weak council even weaker by imposing a change such as transferring three residential communities to Rockhampton Regional Council.

Mayor Andy Ireland said a boundary change could see rates rise significantly in Livingstone Shire.

“RRC has referred to the Queensland Treasury Commission (QTC) report, so Livingstone will as well. We quote directly from the QTC report which states (pg. 3) ‘Based on the financial information provided by LSC and RRC, the proposed transfer of the three suburbs is forecast to have a negative impact on LSC’s financial profile and a positive impact on RRC’s financial profile’

“These are QTC’s estimates, not Livingstone’s. The independent QTC report states that rates could increase between $161 to $250 per property per annum or alternatively services would need to be reduced. Either way, the residents of LSC will be disadvantaged.”

Mr Ireland said the QTC report stated the boundary change would increase the net operation result of RRC by $1.4m resulting in a $36 rate reduction for RRC ratepayers.

“So where is the “fairness for all” to paraphrase RRC’s slogan for the change? How is this fair to the ratepayers of Livingstone who will be financially disadvantaged by a transfer?” he said.

Opposition spokeswoman for Local Government Ann Leahy and Opposition spokesman for Small and Family Business Brent Mickelberg both said the LNP’s position on the boundary “had not changed”.

“The Deputy Premier said himself in a statement on Tuesday, that before any boundary change can be made, the proposal must show that both councils will remain sustainable,” Ms Leahy said.

Opposition spokesman for Small and Family Business Brent Mickelberg.

“Well, this process is a real waste of time and money then because Queensland Treasury‘s report already clearly outlined that Livingstone Shire will be financially unviable.

“I called Rockhampton’s Deputy Mayor on Tuesday, and both the Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business Brent Mickelberg and I have met with the council previously on this issue.

“This is not a time to fight amongst ourselves, but a time to fight on behalf of the ratepayers.”

Mr Mickelberg said the petition was about protecting thousands of Livingstone ratepayers from an “exorbitant” rate rise.

“Central Queensland is best served by having two strong councils, not one that is financially unviable and cannot afford basic services like road maintenance,” he said.

“Livingstone locals are getting a raw deal and we will fight for the benefit of all CQ residents, not just the benefit of one council.

“It’s very clear, both councils do not agree on the transfer of land so the current review is pointless and a waste of ratepayer money.

“We encourage people to sign our petition so we can call on the State Government to put an end to this.”

Originally published as Rockhampton and Livingstone Shire Council boundary debate heats up after petition launches