Separation anxiety: an empirical evaluation of the Australian Sunshine Coast Regional Council de-amalgamation

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“As part of the broader Queensland local government amalgamation programme, in 2008 Noosa Shire Council, Caloundra City Council and Maroochy Shire Council were compulsorily merged into a new Sunshine Coast Regional Council. Five years on, unyielding public opposition and a new Queensland Government has secured deamalgamation of Noosa Shire from the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

Given the almost complete absence of empirical literature on municipal de-amalgamation, the Noosa case provides a rare opportunity to empirically assess a de-amalgamation process. Accordingly, this paper provides a critical evaluation of the de-amalgamation analysis prepared by the Queensland Treasury Corporation. Far from placating residents, the de-amalgamation plans are likely to provoke further acrimony due not only to equity problems, but also a lack of democratic representation on key decision-making bodies. On a broader level, this case study serves as a template for the theory and practice associated with any municipal de-amalgamation—either in Australia or abroad.”

Published in Public Money & Management | J. Drew | 2014, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Separation-anxiety%3A-an-empirical-evaluation-of-the-Drew-Dollery/76784be00ef81900927d8f4377663b3318fb3dfe, https://consensus.app/details/level-case-study-serves-template-practice-associated-drew/d6760086045f5a6b86b4bde0402cc0ac/



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