Deadline looms

The de-amalgamation petition for the Southern Downs region is now available on the Queensland Parliament website.
Local resident Mary Rofe said this was welcome news for those residents unable to access the petition because of work, travel or study.
The process was only made available in early July, with a deadline of August 29 for the presentation of the petition and an accompanying proposal justifying the community’s desire to return to the single entities of Stanthorpe and Warwick shires.
“At this stage there will clearly be enough signatures to progress the proposal and the submission needs only the co-operation of the council in preparing the correct rates figures and projected costs for the separate areas,” Ms Rofe said.
The ‘Return Our Shire’ Action Group is confident that they will have a good proposal to present to the Local Government Minister David Crisafulli on August 29 so that the investigations into the implications of de-amalgamation can begin.
Once the Minister gives the green light, preparations will begin for a plebiscite on the issue to occur before March 31, 2013.
“The people in both forcibly amalgamated areas hope that this will answer many questions about true costs and actual implications of this much desired return to their former boundaries,” she said.
Residents can access the petition made available by State Member for Southern Downs Lawrence Springborg as a service to his constituents, at
www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petition?PetNum=1947
The petition is also available at a number of businesses across the Southern Downs.
For further details, contact Mary Rofe on 0427 617 679 or Bob and Sue Johnson on (07) 4681 0871.