Forum –
In 2017/18, of the seven merged metropolitan councils, only two reported a surplus, while 13 of the 14 small non-merged councils reported a surplus, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald on May 11.
The report says it all doesn’t it?
Bigger is not better!
Tumburumba and Gundagai merged councils have asked the Boundary Commission to de-merge and half a dozen councils are waiting in the wings to see if they are successful.
The NSW State Government has to face the fact that this was disastrously poor policy and to return us to democracy by giving us a referendum on a de-merger this coming September, no ifs or buts.
We want a smaller more intimate Council area where we have some discretion about development and we want to work hard to keep our green spaces, community infrastructure and services.
Proposed asset sales are wrong, they take away what makes us unique and will hurt our communities long after this next Administrator has gone home to his green pastures.
The former Wyong Shire Council had proven that it couldn’t do it and make hard decisions where necessary.
However, we cannot continue to absorb the State Government’s relentless cost shifting which accounts for 7.5 percent of our rates this year, with the Emergency Services Levy, pensioner rebate scheme becoming Council’s responsibility.
We now live in the land of the poor and neglected.
Some examples of this neglect are that it has been over two months since the collapse of a section of Catherine St in Mannering Park.
The whole road formation has been destroyed and the Council’s response to date has been a sign, “Traffic Hazard”.
It is an accident waiting to happen, as it is near a blind corner below a steep rise, with half the road cordoned off with large potholes on the other side.
Another example is that garbage bins have been removed from beaches, which will mean more plastic and rubbish on our beaches and in our oceans.
This is unacceptable to us.
(Ed. Bins are removed from beaches at the end of the lifeguard season every year for maintenance but they remain at every entrance.)
We will be at the mercy of the NSW State Government, which has not been seen to be very giving to this part of the world of late.
We received no money from the Stronger Communities Fund where advice was ignored and documents shredded, all overseen by the Premier and her Department, nor from the first round of the Bushfire Recovery Fund without a reasonable explanation, although we suffered losses of over $160M from the bushfires alone.
This fund was overseen by the Deputy Premier.
We are worried that the beautiful region we know and love will be decimated by land grabs by the NSW State Government, coupled with inappropriate development decimating our local flora and fauna.
We will be completely powerless to prevent any of it as we are under Administration.
We believe the damage will be done before a new Council is re-instated.
Email, May 17,
Kel Wynn, President, Mannering Park Progress Association