Check your division before Council elections in March
With the next local government elections to be held on 16 March this year, Fraser Coast residents are encouraged to check whether their Council division has changed.
Fraser Coast Regional Council CEO Ken Diehm said the Local Government Change Commission reviewed the Council divisional boundaries last year and recommended changes to ensure all divisions have a similar number of voters.
“The Fraser Coast has about 87,000 voters divided into 10 single-member divisions represented by a Councillor, plus a Mayor,” he said.
“With our region growing significantly in recent years, some divisions now have more voters than others.
“As a result, the Electoral Commission of Queensland has changed the boundaries to ensure a reasonable proportion of voters across all divisions in the March 2024 and 2028 elections.
“For some divisions, there will be no changes at all, with the changes affecting about 4400 voters across the Fraser Coast – about five per cent of voters.
“However, there are several changes including the entire locality of Aldershot being transferred from Division 1 to Division 3, while several areas in Division 7 will move into Division 9, to name just two examples.”
Mr Diehm said the Local Government Change Commission’s final report and maps of the Divisions are available on the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s website or on an elections information page on the Council’s website - https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/council-elections
“It is important to understand that the Electoral Commission of Queensland is responsible for the local government elections, not the Council, with more information about the election timetable available on the ECQ’s website along with information for candidates and voters,” he said.
“The ECQ has also developed an interactive online map where residents can enter their address and search for both their current divisions and the final divisions for which they will cast their vote on 16 March 2024.
“A copy of the ECQ’s interactive map has also been made available on the Council’s elections webpage.
“Local government elections occur every four years, and local residents should ensure they understand which division they are in and make the most of this opportunity to decide who will represent them on the Council.”