YOU can forget all the public debate and rhetoric surrounding the building of the new Hervey Bay Library and Council Administration Centre that has dominated the news and social media circles for months.
That was a sardine. This is a whale.
There will be a decision on the proposed 21-storey - $445 million Hervey Bay Esplanade Resort, at the Fraser Coast Regional Council meeting in late January.
It cannot be kicked down the road any further. There are two camps in this debate. Those for and those against. Both are equally passionate.
They are trading it out on social media in the thousands, the modern way for the public to have an immediate ability to make their views known.
But you know what, none of that means diddly squat.
This will not be a decision made by the will of the people. It will be made deep within the psyche of those with the power.
Just eleven individuals, ten divisional councillors and Mayor George possess the authority to shape the future of Hervey Bay for generations.
Council officers will prepare a report for their consideration, which will contain a recommendation to approve, approve with conditions or reject.
All the commentary will fall silent, and the weight of the decision will settle on the shoulders of those eleven ladies and gentlemen.
Emotions significantly impact decision-making. They can shape preferences and choices, at times superseding rational considerations.
We are often influenced by social context, peer pressure, and societal norms. There is a bias to conform to these, even if it is an unconscious and misguided one.
I have spent the last week crunching every piece of conceivable data, every like, dislike, comment, and petition, particularly since the developers have opened up their charm offensive.
The engagement numbers are just staggering and dwarf any ‘Councillor Community Chat’ in the park or conceivable level of 1:1 constituent feedback. To suggest otherwise is folly.
If you set aside the economic benefits and simply consider the will of the people, the die is cast.
