MEMBER for Keppel Bruce Young has labelled Robert Schwarten a hypocrite as the Rockhampton region's deamalgamation battle heats up.

Mr Young yesterday returned fire with fire after the former Member for Rockhampton and Bligh Government Minister accused him of hiding under the bed on the crucial issue.

In response Mr Young said the Newman Government was giving former Livingstone shire residents a say, something the previous government had failed to do.

Mr Young has adopted "a neutral position" on whether the region should split, however he indicated it's his personal belief a deamalgamation is in the region's long-term interests.

"Mr Schwarten was a key part of the Beattie and Bligh governments that changed the Local Government Act and took away the democratic right for people to have a say on amalgamations," Mr Young said.

He said he had canvassed many residents of the former Livingstone Shire area with the "vast majority" telling him they were opposed to amalgamation in the first place.

"Had they been given the democratic right they would have overwhelmingly voted against it," Mr Young said.

"It's hypocritical now of Mr Schwarten to have removed people's votes and now come out and demand everyone gets a vote."

He was referring to calls that everyone in the Rockhampton region have a say on deamalgamation. Only residents of Livingstone will be able to vote.

Mr Young said feelings about amalgamation had been strongest amongst former Livingstone residents and it was fair they now exercise their democratic right.

He urged them to take the personalities and history out of the debate and look to the future.

"People of the former Livingstone shire need to look to the future. They are being given an opportunity here to get their old shire back. They shouldn't look at the personalities here, or the past, but to the future."

Asked whose financial figures residents should trust (either those of the government's Treasury department or the Bill Ludwig led Capricorn Coast Independence Movement), Mr Young said the independence movement had recently submitted its figures to Treasury, which was in the process of reviewing them. This review should shed more light on the financial implications of a split.

"In the long term if the deamalgamation process goes through, and we have to look at this for the long term, I can't see the former Livingstone shire being any worse off.

"There will be (short-term) costs involved, but you have to look at the long term and we are not going to be any worse off."

He said the remainder of the amalgamated council would also be able to move forward with confidence.