MAYOR Jos Mitchell’s push to slash the number of elected representatives has split Redlands, with residents and councillors at odds over whether fewer councillors would deliver stronger leadership and lower costs.
Cr Peter Mitchell (Div. 2) backed a reduction, saying Redlands would function better with seven councillors instead of 11.
“In terms of nimble and effective strategic decision making, having a board of 11 councillors is unnecessarily unwieldy,” he said.
But he stressed the change should be seen as a strategic leadership improvement, not a cost-cutting measure.
“To attract a skilled cohort of councillors, wages would need to increase by 50 per cent, as would community support resources.”
Others disagreed, warning the plan would weaken grassroots representation.
Cr Paul Bishop (Div. 10) said the strength of local government was that councillors remained close to their communities.
“Our current ratio gives residents access to engaged representatives who attend events, support clubs and groups, while responding to issues at a local scale,” he said.
“Fewer councillors wouldn’t mean better engagement – in fact, it risks weakening genuine representation.”
Rather than reducing councillor numbers, Cr Bishop said the focus should be on “strengthening how we work with the community to define a shared vision, set clear strategic priorities, and manage budgets responsibly”.
“Representation is only meaningful when councillors listen, engage and act in the best interests of residents,” he said.
Cr Paul Golle (Div. 3) also rejected the proposal, warning it glossed over “serious legal, financial and operational hurdles”.
“Reducing councillor numbers is not a simple or cost-free process. It requires comprehensive community consultation, State Government approval and oversight by the Electoral Commission Queensland,” he said.
Currently, Redlands’ councillor-to-resident ratio is on par with Toowoomba, Cairns and Mackay – all councils in the same D2 category as Redlands.
Any change to match councils like Ipswich would shift Redlands into a different category and trigger significant pay rises for elected representatives.
Cr Shane Rendalls (Div. 5) argued the change would disadvantage communities like the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.
“Significantly increasing the size of divisions will reduce the representation available to the community,” he said.
“Our six residential islands are by all indicators regional, with unique challenges around transport, health, education, and the cost of living. Our voice would be lost within a larger metropolitan council.”
Cr Wendy Boglary (Div. 1) said councillor efficiency and decision-making were often affected by “political bias, block voting, and councillors prioritising their division over whole-of-city outcomes”.
“It is obvious to me over the years that this whole-of-city approach has not always been front of mind, to the detriment of community outcomes,” she said.
She said there was merit in discussing if a reduced number of councillors without divisions could deliver better results, but warned against amalgamation with Brisbane or Logan.
“I would be hesitant to amalgamate with another council for fear of losing our unique Redlands character and representation for our residents,” she said.
Cr Boglary said she had been raising concerns about financial sustainability for more than a decade.
“Covering the costs of necessary infrastructure and the number of major projects Council is committed to or planning certainly gives thought for consideration for amalgamation,” she said.
Cr Jason Colley (Div. 9) said he was not opposed to reducing councillor numbers, but there were “significant consequences” that needed to be weighed up.
“In other communities where councillors serve larger populations, residents often can’t directly access their representative – they have to go through office staff,” he said.
“Would our community want this, or do they value accessibility?”
He also questioned whether reducing councillors would save money in the long-run.
“Reducing councillor numbers would likely increase staff costs – would this really be more efficient for the community? I don’t know,” Cr Colley said.
Mayor Mitchell noted that a reduction of four councillors would save the organisation about $480,000 in councillor remuneration plus cars, expenses and support staff costs.
“I believe that would place savings in excess of $750,000,” she said.
Others argued the financial impact of trimming councillors would be relatively modest compared with the overall budget.
Staff costs make up the bulk of Council’s operating expenses, with some senior managers paid more than elected representatives.
By comparison, the estimated savings of around $500,000 from cutting councillors would equate to roughly 0.5 per cent of general rates.
Real rate reductions, some observers suggest, would be more likely to come from larger-scale changes such as amalgamation.
A merger with Brisbane City Council, for example, would automatically reduce councillor numbers because BCC councillors each represent far more constituents than in Redlands.
State Member for Redlands Rebecca Young said size or structure decisions were matters for Council.
State Member for Springwood Mick de Brenni added his perspective, focusing on residents’ cost-of-living pressures.
“Ratepayers don’t care how many councillors there are, they just want a council that delivers the services they require and depend on,” he said.
A spokesperson for Minister for Local Government Ann Leahy said the State Government had not been approached on the issue but welcomed any efforts to streamline processes.
“The Government is yet to receive any correspondence from Redlands City Council on the matter; however, we support councils taking initiative to reduce red-tape and provide value for ratepayers’ money.”
