New country to form within Australia? These residents want it

[TC200six]

A big joke or not, residents of Lamb Island, fed up with all three levels of government, want their own micronation.


http://www.news.com.au/national-news...-1226731669108

ON a sleepy Queensland island where there's more going on in the mangroves than on the streets, there are secessionist rumblings.



About 450 locals on tiny Lamb Island, about 4.5km east of Brisbane, are preparing to break away from Australia to form the Independent Republic of Nguduroodistan.

Independence campaigner and local shop owner Tony Gilson says the proposed micronation's name comes from Nguduroo, the indigenous name for the island.

Mr Gilson says residents are fed up with getting a raw deal on services from the local, state and federal governments and have decided to go it alone.

"As straw poll, about 90 per cent support independence," he told AAP.

"I've been talking to people here at the shop for about a week about it and I've had a couple of beers up the club and there's similar sort of reaction."

He said three tiers of government had failed to give residents value for money so local experts were working out how the island could be more self-sufficient and cut living costs.

Apologetically putting the phone down to take fish and chips orders, Mr Gilson returned to say a referendum had been organised for October 19.

If successful there would be a plebiscite on the new republic's 35-page constitution and a caretaker government consisting of a king and queen, a prime minister and 21 ministers.

Mr Gilson also said local yachtsman Clint Mcdonald stands ready to defend the micronation's borders from invasion.

He told AAP the aspiring science and technology minister had just walked into his shop.

"Hi John, just talking to AAP about the referendum," Mr Gilson said.

"Oh, John says hello mate."

The campaigner said his proposed country would seek advice from the head of Australia's most famous micronation, Hutt River Province's Prince Leonard in Western Australia.

But he said Nguduroodistan would have to find it's own way.

"I think things are moving a little quickly already," Mr Gilson said.

"But you know, we've still got to give it a shot."