Managing director of stock and station agent Brodie & Co, Sam Daniels, is the face of an online petition which protests the proposed abolition of the Dalrymple electorate. This area which includes Charters Towers would merge with the large Mount Isa seat, removing the southern area including Birdsville to the south, to become Traeger. 

Mr Daniels said the Mount Isa city should have its own electorate because its needs were different to those of every other community in the proposed super-sized electorate. His petition said the proposed Traeger area should become three electorates so the people of rural Queensland can be properly heard. But it could not be less than two electorates. This would be Mount Isa, and then the mid-western communities to Charters Towers. 

“It would just be physically impossible for one person to be able to give us support we need because of the diverse areas in the region that have huge potential in agriculture and mining and just the basic services,” Mr Daniels said. 

“We’ve got a rail network that is completely outdated which needs work on it, the dearest power in the world, and every road in the north west needs serious attention.

“With the commodity of mining and beef that goes out of this region and the amount of people it keeps in a job in the rest of the state it should be more seriously valued through more representation in this area.” 

He said that with more representation in parliament there was more chance for better service, roads, power prices, rail facilities and more jobs in the regions. 

“So we can build more mines, grow more cattle, truck more commodity out, and pay more royalties to the state. But unless we’re given more representation it will never happen to its full potential.” 

The Queensland Redistribution Commission accepts objections for the proposed electorates until 5pm, Monday, March 27. 

The link to the online petition which will be handed to the commission is ipetitions.com/petition/we-need-3-state-electoral-boundaries-not-1.

Its goal is to collect 2000 signatures.

Cloncurry’s Post Office Hotel publican Nancy Dodd said the state government should see that merging the two electorates was “a disaster for all”. 

“We are crying out every day with neglect from the state and federal governments now,” she said. 

“Where were the government when the drought was so fierce in our region? Not a sound or word. 

“If the government knew their history they would be insulting Mr Traeger because he was a man who was about communication.”