WINTER 2012 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 9

NEWS

Former Capalaba councillor KarenWilliams was sworn in as the newmayor of Redland City Council(RCC) during a public ceremonyat Cleveland Showground.

The new mayor, who received almost 70per cent of votes from the electorate, toldSIN she felt “a huge sense of relief” that elec-tion campaigning was finally over.

“That’s a fairly tiresome activity andrequires 24/7 commitment. I suppose thewhole experience has been very humblingand I am certainly very grateful for the levelof support that I received and obviously withthat comes a huge responsibility and greatexpectations across the city.”

The top three issues on the Mayor’s agen-da were council rates, tip fees and establish-ing a “Red Tape Taskforce”.

“I’ll be lobbying my colleagues to supporta general rate increase of no more than theCPI or less,” Mayor Williams said. “That’ll beone of the first tasks, as well as abolishing tipfees and getting the red tape taskforce mov-ing to make some of the processes in theorganisation more efficient, transparentand fair,” she told SIN.

In fact, at her first general meeting asmayor, Cr Williams did abolish tip fees,despite opposition from five councillors,including Straddie’s councillor, CraigOgilvie. The meeting also voted to set up ataskforce to cut “bureaucratic red tape”.

Cr Ogilvie said the average rate-payinghousehold would now have an annual wastelevy of more than $305 a year, up from thecurrent $290 annual fee.

Division 1 councillor Wendy Boglary, rep-resenting Wellington Point and Ormiston,said many residents were unaware the feeswould come “off the gates and go on to rates… Why should pensioners who don’t usethe dump have to subsidise those who do,”she said.

On her first day as mayor Cr Williams hadalso begun working with the new NewmanState Government on the disbanding ofwater supplier, AllConnex, and told SIN shewould not support any government “writinglegislation for legislation’s sake”.

“I would be encouraging that we actuallythink through how we deliver on those sortsof outcomes that we’re trying to achieve,”the Mayor said.

Ogilviereturnswith newmayor

Inexperienceat the helmExperienced councillors, re-elected inthe recent local elections must ensurecorrect processes are followed in thenew council, which will be led by afirst time mayor and many first timerepresentatives, Councillor CraigOgilvie told SIN.“This council will have theresponsibility for new Town Plans thatare revised every seven years,” CrOgilvie said. “Because we have a firsttime mayor and many first timecouncillors, it is essential that weensure that correct processes arefollowed in planning and also indevelopment approvals.“We need to ensure that Islandresidents don’t pay higher ratesbecause council gives the go aheadto unnecessary urban sprawl areasthat need new roads and sewerageand footpaths and so forth.“The last council won awards forfinancial planning and it is up to usto continue to push hard to keep thecouncil’s books in order despite theelection of a primarily inexperiencedcouncil.”Voters elected a new mayor, KarenWilliams, who was previouslycouncillor for Capalaba, and sevennew councillors. Cr Ogilvie, standingfor a third term, defied the mood forchange by winning with a narrowmargin of 95 votes (50.62 per cent of the vote). “There was a lot of money spent ontrying to get rid of all the councillorswho didn’t believe in urban sprawl onthe mainland,” he said, “I wastargeted and I’m proud that a lot ofpeople supported me anyway.”His lowest Island vote was at Dunwich(40.6 per cent) almost identical tothe LNP/ALP split at the stateelection, although Cr Ogilvie is anIndependent. Sand mining was amajor issue in Dunwich at bothelections, although neither Cr Ogilvienor the previous council opposedmining on the Island. “I think people were in a mood topunish with or without reason,” hesaid.Point Lookout was the only booth inthe Redlands won by outgoing MayorMelva Hobson, with a vote of 54 percent. Karen Williams won almost 70per cent of the total Redland vote.— Liz Johnston.

B Y M A R I A T A N

Councillor Craig Ogilvie