However, being election time, letters often don't get printed in the mainstream media. So, with a little encouragement from some of my readers, I'm now offering a "letters" section.
To comply with AEC electoral regulations, you will need to supply your full name and residential address.
This one was penned to the Cairns Post, Port Douglas & Mossman Gazette and Cairns Sun a week ago, however has not appeared.
- Dear Editor,
Kevin Byrne’s full-page advertisement in the Cairns Post on Saturday 9th, continually refers to the new Cairns Regional Council area as “a city”. Is he planning on turning our incredibly diverse built and natural environments into one sprawling metropolis or is he just going to ignore the areas outside the Cairns urban district? He even uses the plural "cities". He must have some really big development plans.
He states that if he isn’t voted in, anyone new will have to “learn the delicate ins and outs of running” the city. This is the job of the senior staff and employees. If this is not the case,
what on earth are these staff there for? The elected council’s role is to represent the aspirations of the community and develop and deliver on policy, not to interfere with the routine day-to-day “running” of council works and services.
We are also informed that the newly elected council must “manage a smooth, seamless merger with the Douglas Shire”. I am of the understanding that this is the responsibility of the interim CEO of the Cairns Regional Council, Mr. Noel Briggs. If the new council is responsible for managing this task, what is Mr Briggs doing?
Once again, the elected councils role is to embrace the new areas and ensure those communities are properly represented.
Clearly, Kevin Byrne does not understand that the role of an elected council is to provide vision, strategy and policy. The CEO and paid staff are responsible for managing the works and services operations of the council area and implementing the merger.
Do we really want the new Cairns Regional Council to be led by a man who does not understand these fundamental principles?
Roisin Allen,
Shannonvale, QLD 4873
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