State responds to petition calling for the unification of Point Lonsdale

A PETITION calling for Point Lonsdale to be unified under a single local government area has received a response from the state government, but the petition’s initiator fears nothing will change.

Launched late last year by local resident Taki – who prefers his full name not be published – the petition aimed to address residents’ democratic right to representation, which he believes is undermined by the existing border through the township.

At present, Point Lonsdale is divided between the Borough of Queenscliffe and the City of Greater Geelong.

In her response to the petition, Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne said boundary changes were a significant undertaking that involved costs and disruptions to councils and the community, and were not undertaken lightly.

Ms Horne also noted that, as Minister for Local Government, she had the power to constitute an advisory panel to conduct a review into restructure proposals such as alterations to LGA boundaries.

“Before considering exercising this power, however, I would need to be satisfied that there is sufficient support for this proposal from both councils involved and those who would be directly impacted,” she said.

“This petition is a positive indicator that there is support for this change within the community and I encourage you to raise this with the two councils.”

Taki said the minister’s response was “cynical”, with the city and the borough effectively invited “to do nothing”, and a decision independent of the councils might be a more appropriate approach.

“Their response is to handball it back to the councils that have done nothing…and benefit from doing nothing because in the end, the whole political demographic would change,” he said.

Taki said he remains concerned that should the boundary line remain the same, Point Lonsdale residents will continue to experience the inequitable council representation which he feels has led to a lack of money being spent in the township.

“The large majority of the stakeholders are people who are too old to actually do anything about it.

“It’s a wrong not being righted, an opportunity [to change] something that’s clearly undemocratic and is not what Australia is about.”

Last year, the borough expressed a willingness to explore the proposed boundary adjustment, stating the idea had “merit”.

“As recently as 2020/21, the Borough of Queenscliffe was in discussions with the Minister for Local Government to open up talks with the City of Greater Geelong…with a view to commence a formal review of the local government boundary alignment,” a borough spokesperson said.

At the time, however, the city declined to respond to questions from this masthead about their support for the proposed boundary change.

With October’s council elections fast approaching, both councils have now entered caretaker mode.