Rockhampton northern boundary review: Fight between Rockhampton Regional Council and Livingstone Shire Council

The battle of which council the suburbs of Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview belong to has begun again and it will soon be up to all residents in the Rockhampton Region and Livingstone Shire area to have their vote. One mayor in the battle says the it could have ‘diabolical financial impacts’.

Rockhampton region councillors are pushing for the northern suburbs residents to be joined with Rockhampton Regional Council. Left to right: Cherie Rutherford, Neil Fisher, Shane Latcham, Donna Kirkland and Tony Williams.

The battle of which local council area residents of Rockhampton’s northern suburbs belong in has reignited with two mayors at the forefront - one who says the outcome could have ‘diabolical financial impacts’.

As it stands, residents of the Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview suburbs are part of the Livingstone Shire Council (LSC).

For years, there has been a back and forth argument between Rockhampton Regional Council (RRC) and LSC over which council the residents should be attached to.

Soon, it will be up to residents across both of the councils to have their say.

Letters will be sent out in June to all residents in the Livingstone and Rockhampton regions, asking residents if they support the transfer of the northern suburbs to the Rockhampton region.

A campaign has begun by Rockhampton Regional Council to encourage residents to “vote yes”.

“They (the northern suburbs residents) are here every day, spending their lives in our region and we want them to be part of our region,” Rockhampton region mayor Tony Williams said.

“Everyone gets a say and that’s something that hadn't happened previously.

“It’s about the future of our region … It should have been done a long time ago.”

While the Rockhampton mayor said it was a logical progression for the suburbs to be transferred, Livingstone Mayor Andy Ireland said it was a “blatant land grab that will have dire consequences for Livingstone”.

Historically, the three suburbs have been part of the Livingstone Shire Council, except for in the amalgamation which was from 2008 to 2014.

The residents were transferred to LSC after the de-amalgamation in 2014.

“There has to be a boundary somewhere,” Mr Ireland said.

“There’s plenty of examples of local governments across Australia, like southeast Queensland, where residents live, work and play across multiple boundaries.

“You don’t see Brisbane City Council trying to steal suburbs from Logan because their residents might work in Brisbane.”

The northern suburb residents have been asked before to vote on the boundary issue, however this is the first time all enrolled voters in the councils’ footprint will be asked.

In 2014, a vote was held and around 60 to 75 per cent of those who responded voted to return back to Rockhampton Regional Council but nothing ever progressed any further.

“Two previous votes have indicated that the communities of those areas were wanting to be part of the Rockhampton Regional Council area,” Mr Williams said.

“The community believe they want to be part of the Rockhampton region, we want them to be part of the Rockhampton region, it’s our growth and our future.”

Mr Ireland said a boundary change was not better and fairer for all.

“Council values all areas of the shire equally and we will have a stronger economic future together,” he said.

From the boundary of Ramsay Creek near Edenbrook Estate it is 12kms to Rockhampton’s City Hall compared to 40kms to the coast.

Mr Williams touched on the point of disasters, explaining that in natural disasters, Rockhampton is the closest point for residents in the northern suburbs and they seek information and updates from RRC.

The northern suburbs is the growth region of Rockhampton, as can be seen by all of the new residential estates being built in the area, such as Edenbrook, Riverside Estate and Paramount Park.

“We would invest in the infrastructure going forward, that corridor is the growth for our region,” Mr Williams said.

“In 20 to 40 years time, we plan to see housing contained in that corridor.

“We are constrained by other areas in the region with the Fitzroy Delta flood plain, but bounded by ranges and mountains to the other side of the council area.”

In 2016, RRC made LSC an offer of $1.8m per year for three years, in a negotiation to give up the northern suburbs ratepayers.

It also offered to request a $10 million offer from the Queensland Treasury Corporation.

Mr Ireland said this was a “completely disingenuous offer”.

“Secondly, they offered us 50 per cent of the rates revenue from the three suburbs for a 10-year period totalling $13.5 million in today’s dollars,” he said.

“This falls significantly short of the current valuation of Livingstone Shire Council assets in these suburbs which totals approximately $50 million dollars.”

Mr Williams said council tried “to make a compensation for the loss and finances” but that was rejected by LSC.

“We understood there was a financial impact to the council so we put an offer (forward),” he said.

“We’re disappointed … we thought we could come to an agreement rather than having to get the government to make a decision on it.

“We don’t want to pick a fight with Livingstone … we just don’t see the logic in having those suburbs and those people paying for infrastructures on the coast when we are providing that infrastructure.”

Financial review conducted

A report was conducted by the Queensland Treasury Corporation, considering the impacts of the suburbs transfer.

The report found there were 1,266 rateable properties in the three suburbs, 26 council properties (mostly open space assets like parks and one residential property) and $40 million in property, plant and equipment for roads, water and parks, including the transfer of the Mt Charlton Reservoir, water main, and other infrastructure servicing The Caves water scheme.

By 2024-25, the proposed transfer is estimated to increase RRC’s ratepayer base by 3.4 per cent and increase property, plant and equipment by 1.3 per cent.

However, on the LSC side, it would decrease the LSC ratepayer base by 6.7 per cent and decrease property, plant and equipment by 3.7 per cent.

The Livingstone mayor said the proposed transfer would have “diabolical financial impacts to Livingstone Shire” and that council was “totally and utterly opposed to it”.

“The Queensland Government’s own financial analysis has found Livingstone rates will jump by $160 to $250 annually if it goes ahead,” Mr Ireland said.

“It (the proposed transfer) only advantages Rockhampton. It’s certainly not fairer to Livingstone Shire Council and our ratepayers who are going to experience the financial impost of any change that happens.

“I appreciate there will be residents of Glenlee, Glendale and Rockyview that want to be transferred to Rockhampton Regional Council but I urge them to think about the financial burden the rest of their community will be put under if the move is approved.”

Deputy mayor and long-time councillor Neil Fisher echoed the Rockhampton mayor’s thoughts and said councillors were constantly getting comments from residents in the northern suburbs about being transferred to RRC.

“Many of these people that live in the suburbs, they are people that you go to church with, play sport with, work with … they made an investment in a region they wanted to be part of … they are Rockhampton families,” Mr Fisher said.

“We are reaching out, we have open arms and we want them to come home.

“And we want the Rockhampton Regional Council area and all of those to support this move … Moving forward to a region that is united again.”

But the fight won’t go down easy.

“We will fight this tooth and nail and are strongly urging everyone in the community to vote no to the boundary change and send a strong message to leave Livingstone alone,” Mr Ireland said.

Letters will be sent in the mail to every enrolled elector in RRC and LSC from June 13 from the Electoral Commission Queensland.

The letter will include information about the poll and a unique code needed to vote.

The question: “Do you support, the proposed transfer of Glenlee, Rockyview and Glendale from Livingstone Shire Council to Rockhampton Regional Council?” will have a yes or no response.

The vote can be done by postal or online survey.

There will also be a three-week opportunity to provide written submissions to the Change Commission.

Find more information visit the Livingstone Shire Council and Rockhampton Regional Council – External Boundary Review on the Electoral Commission Queensland website.

Originally published as Rockhampton northern boundary review: Fight between Rockhampton Regional Council and Livingstone Shire Council