2014-10-14 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda - Pages 51 - 117

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              14 OCTOBER 2014


REPORT
History

As Council would be aware, the EDV Residents Group Inc (EDV Group) have been campaigning
for a number of years for a boundary change. Prior to 2008, this campaign was focused on
changing the boundary between the former Maroochy Shire Council and the former Noosa Shire
Council. Obviously, the 2008 amalgamation process superseded that campaign.

During the 2007/08 anti-amalgamation campaign, the EDV Group was very active in
campaigning against the amalgamation process. The former Noosa Council made a submission
to the Local Government Boundary Commission in 2007 which included the EDV area in a
proposed “Greater Noosa” area.

During the de-amalgamation campaign, the EDV Group took an active part in the Noosa
Independence Alliance and campaigned actively in support of the re-establishment of a new
Noosa Council. The de-amalgamation that took effect on 1 January 2014 was undertaken in
accordance with the former Noosa Council boundaries i.e. excluding the EDV area.

EDV Group Request

Following the de-amalgamation, the EDV Group has recommenced their campaign to achieve a
boundary change between the Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC) and Noosa Council for
the EDV area to be excluded from the SCRC area and included in the Noosa Council area.

On 8 September 2014, the EDV Group wrote to Noosa Council requesting Noosa Council to
advise on its position in relation to a potential boundary change. The request from the EDV
Group is attached to this report. It consists of a number of parts:

Attachment 1 – Letter of request from EDV Group dated 8 September 2014
Attachment 2 – Submission by EDV Group to Noosa Shire dated 8 September 2014
Attachment 3 – Demographic Information from Mr Ted Fitzgerald
Attachment 4 – Population Gravity Model Assessment by Mr Ted Fitzgerald

Relevant Legislation

The Local Government Act and Regulation sets out a process by which local government
boundary change requests are dealt with. Following amendments to the Act and Regulation in
2013, any referrals to the Local Government Change Commission (the Change Commission) can
only be made by the Minister for Local Government (see section 18 of the Local Government
Act).

If a referral is made to the Change Commission, the Change Commission seeks submissions
and undertakes an assessment of the proposal.

In undertaking an assessment, the Change Commission must have regard to a number of
matters set out in section 9 of the Local Government Regulation. That section provides as
follows:

“(1)   The external boundaries of a local government area should be drawn in a way that has
       regard to communities of interest, including that the local government area should generally
       —
       (a) reflect local communities, for example, the geographical pattern of human activities
            (where people live, work and engage in leisure activities), and the linkages between
            local communities; and


                                                                                   Page 52 of 117