A REDLAND City councillor says he is taking the vehicle barge to Council meetings because of threats he says are now under police investigation.
Division 5 Cr Shane Rendalls says the safety measure is necessary when his attendance at publicly advertised meetings or official events is known in advance.
It comes as Ipswich City Council considers a motion to investigate a security allowance for councillors, modelled on the $6500 home-security scheme available to Queensland MPs.
The latest concerns follow a court case finalised earlier this year involving Wellington Point woman Vicki Ward.
Ward pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court to using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence after Facebook posts about Cr Rendalls.
The court was told the posts included a threat to stab him.
Cr Rendalls, who represents Redland Bay and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, said he was concerned by increasingly aggressive online commentary, and claimed other councillors had also raised fears about harassment, threats and stalking behaviour.
He said the practical challenge was heightened for island-based councillors, who must travel through public ferry terminals and facilities rather than simply driving to work.
During periods when active threats are being investigated, he said he travelled by vehicle barge to Council meetings and other official commitments where his attendance was publicly known.
The vehicle-barge fares are paid by Redland City Council as official business travel, Cr Rendalls said.
Rather than a flat allowance for security, Cr Rendalls said councils should assess each case on its merits and provide protection where there was a documented history of credible threats.
