Deputy Mayor Ramia - do as I say not as we do ...

From ABC News (annotated):

Toowoomba to offer water poll cooperation

24 April 2006

Toowoomba City Council says it will cooperate with other councils conducting their own water poll.

The council has decided on the question that will be put to Toowoomba residents who will decide if a $68 million plan to recycle sewage for drinking water will go ahead.

The Federal Government has agreed to fund a third of the project if residents vote yes in the poll [subject to a number of other conditions].

Toowoomba deputy Mayor Joe Ramia says his council will provide other councils with details of the poll.

"Once the question has been formulated, now that question can be used in Jondaryan could be used at Rosalie or at Crows Nest because that is a question that Toowoomba city will be asking communities to vote on and I suppose it's only fair that shires that do get water from it have the same questions. Toowoomba will cooperate with them 100 per cent," he said.

The Mayor of Jondaryan, Peter Taylor, says about 3,000 residents in his shire rely on Toowoomba's water supplies and they have a right to have a say.

"We'll be paying the cost of that poll and we'll forward the information and the results of that poll to Toowoomba City Council, it will be up to them whether they take any notice of it or not," he said.

"But we believe our residents are entitled to a say, we think their views are important and that's what we'll do in the interest of democracy and the rights of our people."

See - Ramia about face.

After many months of the Toowoomba City Council ignoring requests from neighbouring shires for further information, suddenly Deputy Mayor Ramia is saying Council will cooperate with the shires "100 per cent".

Seeing is believing ...