I thought it time to provide you with an update on the progress of this matter.

An important task this month has been to write the detailed application to the Minister for Local Government, setting out the case for a referral to the Change Commission to commence a formal process of examining the proposal, having consultation between the Councils, and considering the merits of the case based on the criteria outlined in Local Government Regulation 2012  Chapter 2, Part 2, Division 1. The report is progressing well, and I am happy with the data my team has put together supporting the case. 

CASE TO MOVE TO GCCC STRENGTHENED
The case was somewhat strengthened this week when I received a letter from the Office of Independent Assessor (OIA), advising that they had investigated a complaint of misconduct against me and decided to take no further action (NFA). 

It was alleged that in statements to the Fassifern Guardian and Tribune, published on the 19th of May 2021, I unfairly denigrated two Mayors and other councillors from the last eight years of the Scenic Rim Council and misled the public by saying: 
Successive Mayors and Councillors have ignored, humiliated, and punished our (Divisional) Councillors over the last eight years.
They gave us less than 4% of the $60 million dollar plus annual capital budget. 

The OIA conducted an investigation and considered: -
- SRRC Capital Expenditure Asset ledgers for Division 1 and the Scenic Rim Local Government Area as a whole for the years 2013/4 to 2020/21.
- Councillor and Executive workshop meetings, where draft budget meetings occurred
- Ordinary meeting agendas and minutes for 2020 and 2021, where council budget has been considered.
- Summaries and other budget information provided by Council regarding budget processes
- The 10-year Capital Works Program
- Asset Management Strategy, Plans and policy for the Scenic Rim Council. 
- Information submitted by me in relation to the complaint. 
- Relevant provisions of the ActThe Queensland Human Rights Act. 


The OIA said that the statements made by me were examined from the perspective of exploring whether sufficient evidence was reasonably obtainable to show that they were false and or misleading and made knowingly or recklessly to reach the threshold of misconduct defined by section 150L 1 (b) (i) of the Local Government Act. 

This is an excerpt from their finding: 
“The OIA considered your assertion that Division 1 had been given less than 4% of the annual budget along with the sentiment implicit in the statement that this 4% represents an underfunding of Division 1. The OIA took into account the geographic, demographic existing assets and asset classes that exist between the divisions that would make the implicit sentiment in this statement inaccurate. 

Given the complexity of budgetary processes and decisions, the statement is an oversimplification of the facts and circumstances involved. (although on this I disagree as it isn’t from my knowledge of Local Government) This statement IS NOT DEMONSTRABLY FALSE IN ITS OWN RIGHT, GIVEN the AVERAGE FUNDING OF DIVISION 1 AVERAGED OVER 8 YEARS……WAS 4.08% “ Given that my statements to the Fassifern Guardian did not just refer to Division 1 but the whole of Tamborine Mountain, which includes part of Division 2 also, the capital expenditure is likely even less than the OIA’s analysis. I hope many more residents on the Mountain now understand my strong stand for the Mountain to be treated fairly, to increase the transparency of Council, and my decision to seek to move to the Gold Coast City Council, where the rates for residential occupied dwellings would be almost half of what we pay now, and there would be likely more equity in capital funding given their 1.6-billion-dollar budget and economies of scale. 

Gold Coast is where our Community of Interest lies, by any measure.