Keeping the ‘regional’ in TRC

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has agreed to consider steps towards ensuring true regional representation among the elected councillors.

Cr Kerry Shine (right) raised the issue, noting the high proportion of current councillors who reside in Toowoomba.

“Representation is a big factor,” Cr Shine said.

“There is nothing like that reassurance for people who are familiar with what they’re talking about, they know the street names.”

Statistics show representation from regions outside the city of Toowoomba has been in decline since amalgamation in 2008.

Cr Shine said he wanted to see the election system changed.

“I have received constant feedback from residents in the rural parts of the Region expressing frustration, since amalgamation, at not having ‘their’ own representative on Council,” he said.

At the last Ordinary Meeting he proposed that Council receive a report to consider preparation of a change in the way Councillors are elected from the currently undivided to divided or multi - member divided electoral arrangements.

“My intent is see provision for up to eight Councillors to be elected in Toowoomba (an area covered by the State seats of Toowoomba North and South) and at least two from the balance of the Region,” Cr Shine said.

“Bearing in mind that at the last election the four new Councillors all came from Toowoomba (Melissa Taylor, Tim McMahon, Rebecca Vonhoff and Cr Shine), it is probable that at some time in the not too distant future, all of the 10 Councillors will be from the City,” he said.

According to their latest registers of interest, of the ten councillors, seven reside in Toowoomba while Megan O’Hara Sullivan resides in Greenmount, Bill Cahill resides in Highfields and Nancy Sommerfield resides in Crows Nest.

Cr Shine said that in the TRC area, roughly 80 per cent of electors were in the city and 20 per cent outside in towns or country.

“My suggestion therefore, to comply with the Act re ‘reasonable proportionality’ or equality of numbers, we have five divisions; four in the city and one in the country,” he said.

“We will still have ten councillors, but with two in each division.

“The precedent is Ipswich where there are four divisions with two councillors in each, with a total of eight.”

Cr Shine believes it is currently almost impossible for a country candidate to be known well enough in the city, to win.

“If that’s the case 20 per cent of electors will never have one of their own elected. That’s neither fair nor democratic.

“It’s not good for any part of the region to be denied the local knowledge and sentiment of a large section.

“In order to meet the pub test, skill, capability and passion is not sufficient… being a local is what is also desired.”

Opposition within Council to Cr Shine’s motion came from councillors who had all previously served in shire councils, Carol Taylor, Bill Cahill and Mayor Paul Antonio.

Cr Taylor spoke very passionately about the topic.

She said new councillors and citizens have brought up the topic with her time and time again but the reality is all divisions have to be somewhat equal in population.

Council resolved to receive a report from the CEO by October 2023 which will consider the preparation of a proposal seeing TRC move from undivided to divided or multi-member divided electoral arrangements.

A change to divisions will need approval from the Deputy Premier.

As it is too late to make a submission to make changes for the 2024 election, any change would not be implemented until the 2028 election.