Eight weeks into the bushfire disaster recovery & it seems that the only properties that have been cleaned-up are those where the owners were prepared to pay for it themselves. As to the status of people rendered homeless or unemployed by the disaster, that remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, many self-interested local tourism businesses have continued to cry poor & demand a government handout to compensate them for their alleged loss of revenue as a result of the disaster. Suggestions that any such assistance should be subject to the potential recipients being able to demonstrate that their alleged losses were “real” have been met with fierce resentment, prompting many in the community to see the proposal as nothing more than just another grab for a handout.
At the same time, suggestions that part of any assistance should be passed-on to employees of those businesses who may have lost their jobs as a result are being ignored. These are the same employees whose penalty rates were savaged last year.
Of course, council knows where its priorities should be.
Needless to say, in spite of concerns about the danger of creating “jobs for the boys” voiced by Cr Allen, council approved the $250K funding proposal, ignoring the reality that the main reasons small businesses fail is inadequate capital, poor management or second-rate marketing initiatives.
The old Chinese Proverb has it that “we live in interesting times”. The assoiation contends that we also live in very confusing times.
In spite of decades of outsourcing, downsizing, offshoring & the privatisation of key government activities in NSW, the NSW government remains the largest employer in NSW, with a workforce similar in size to the commonwealth government but double the size of state governments in Queensland & Victoria.
Proudly boasting of their commitment to “smaller government” & reducing “red tape”, both the federal & NSW LNP governments have failed to “walk the talk”, with any privatising of government activity more likely to reflect a desire to raise capital than anything-else.
It is ironic then, that the champions of our so-called “free market economy” openly promote government intervention on behalf of business, including a willingness to provide major funding, bestow favourable commercial arrangements & even underwrite financial losses, highlighting the continuing growing influence of business over government.
Hardly surprising then is the apparent acceptance of suggestions that it is appropriate for government to compensate business when the market fails to operate in its interest.
Having said that, it is even stranger to hear the champions of the “free market” openly espousing initiatives that would normally be anathema to those interests.
Last month the
Member for Bega, the Hon Andrew Constance, openly challenged current societal models, citing the clear inability of governments to respond to the challenges of disasters such as the recent bushfires as good reason to reconsider the fundamental ways our society works, including considering the introduction of a “
basic income scheme”.
The association has been highly critical of all levels of government for their traditional bureaucratic response to the bushfire disaster, citing their preoccupation with assisting business on the one hand & their blatant disinterest in supporting direct meaningful action to provide secure accommodation & employment assistance to disaster victims directly affected on the other. Council is no exception.
While council continues to focus its attention on assisting business, while ignoring the plight of those in our community who are directly suffering from the impact of the bushfire disaster, the association last week wrote to Mr Constance calling on him to remind council of the need to focus its attention in the first instance on those members of our community.
While the association expects nothing from council, it is hopeful that Mr Constance will see fit to take the initiative.
John Richardson
Secretary/Treasurer
Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association
Tel: 0264945669
Email: secretary@begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au
Website: http://www.begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au