Opinions - 2020 (Vol 2) - Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association

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on open minds …

Former Deputy Mayor, Labor Party apparatchik & intellectual giant, Cr Liz Seckold was a vocal supporter of a motion moved by fellow councillor, Cathy Griff, at an ordinary meeting of council last month, calling-on the federal government to formulate & fund a policy to support regional media & restore $783M in funding allegedly cut from the ABC since 1996.

Speaking in favour of the motion, the campion of open minds & independent thinking boasted:

“I’m speaking as a very biased, very biased listener.
I listened to the BBC for many years & now I listen to the ABC.
I have never, ever, listened to anything commercial.
I don’t like being told what will make me happy in life by advertising at me all the time. That is a very important point to me as an individual listener, but also I realised just how very important they are to a local, particularly regional area.
That’s all.”

Says it all really.

on transparency …

The NSW Information & Privacy Commission (IPC) has announced that it intends to carry out an Audit to identify which NSW councils are not complying with their legal responsibility to maintain a public record of the pecuniary interests of elected councillors & senior council management.

The IPC’s action appears to have been prompted by moves by some councils to do-away with their Registers of Interests or restrict public access to same, contrary to the provisions of the GIPA Act & Model Code of Conduct.

on incompetence …

The association believes that one of the biggest financial disasters visited on unsuspecting ratepayers by council in recent years stemmed from its decision to purchase Eden’s Hotel Australasia in February, 2016.

Having burnt $700K on this financial debacle with nothing to show for it, ratepayers still have to repay the $1M borrowed to fund the misadventure.

No wonder the council’s competence is constantly under question.

on White Elephants …

The association believes that constructing White Elephants takes a particular talent: a capacity to ignore facts, a blind philosophical commitment to the belief that “if you build it, they’ll come”, a willingness to deceive the public & to pursue projects without public consultation, unfettered access to the pockets & wallets of the unsuspecting public & a total lack of accountability for the outcome.

The association also believes that the expansion of Merimbula Airport is a classic example of such a project that has been in the making for more than a decade.

The airport expansion project cost, originally approved by council as $7.62M, with ratepayers expected to fund $1.2M of that, has now blown out by $4.83M to $12.45M with ratepayers being expected to meet $6.0M of that, plus any further overruns, such as the cost of the baggage handling& terminal security screening equipment still to be installed at the terminal.

Given the major disruptive impact of the Covid 2019 pandemic & the recent concern voiced over the state of council’s finances, there are those in our community who are wondering why the balance of the airport expansion project has not been put on hold.

howling at the moon …

In the view of the association, the reason that the Roundtable will make little difference to our future was best summed-up by the Executive Chairman of Bega Cheese, Barry Irvin, who reminded all those in attendance that the challenges confronting the Bega Valley existed long before the recent bushfires & Covid2019 pandemic came-along.

While the ideas ventured by members of the association may not appeal to everyone, the fact is that our community will only succeed in building a successful future if those anointed as its leaders are serious about consulting the community about that future & listening to their suggestions & ideas as to how best to make it happen.

Otherwise we will all just continue to howl at the Moon.

on cover-ups …

Word has it that the Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, & the Office of Local Government (OLG) are reluctant to support a review of council’s finances for the period 2018-2019, made by the council itself at its Extraordinary General Meeting on July 13th, 2020.

The association believes that in the absence of any information to the contrary, the OLG has no alternative but to intervene & conduct a full & transparent review of council’s financial activities from 2017 to-date. The association also believes that if the OLG does not initiate that review, it will have failed the residents & ratepayers of the Bega Valley & will not be deserving of their ongoing confidence.

The association also believes that unless confidence in council’s financial management is restored, there may be a reluctance on the part of some quality candidates to contest next year’s council elections.

rubbish …

The recommendation to close the Waste Transfer Stations at Wallagoot, Bemboka & Merimbula to be considered by council is at its ordinary meeting today, is a lazy & careless proposal that lacks sound justification & is a poke in the eye to the communities who will lose their current waste disposal services.

The association believes that council should reject the inferior report being tabled in support of management’s recommendation, treating it with the contempt it deserves.

The association also believes that no change to existing services should even be considered by council until such time as the proposed expansion of the Central Waste Facility (CWF) has been approved, in particular as there can be no guarantee that such approval will be forthcoming.

on building trust …

The association was delighted with the decision taken by council to initiate a four year baseline audit review of its 2016–2020 financial accounts.

Speaking to her motion, Cr Bain said that completion of the audit review would provide certainty as to the status of council’s financial position, while providing a sound base for council’s future financial planning, help create trust & confidence in council in the minds of residents & ratepayers & lend confidence as to the financial standing of council for the incoming council in 2021.

The association believes that the decision taken by Crs Bain, Nadin, Allen & Fitzpatrick will have an immediate positive effect on the level of trust felt by residents & ratepayers towards council & open the way to council adopting a more open & transparent approach to the management of the shire’s affairs.

double trouble …

The association was somewhat surprised to be contacted by ABC Radio South East last week, seeking its opinion as to whether Cr Kristy McBain, the new Member for Eden-Monaro, should resign from her position as a councillor.

While wishing Cr McBain well in her new role representing the people of Eden-Monaro, the President of the association, Fraser Buchanan, suggested that she should resign from council given its view that she cannot satisfy the demands of both positions.

Needless to say, Cr McBain has also acknowledged the difficulty of trying to serve masters, confirming that she would miss last week’s council meeting due to her having to attend Parliament in Canberra, while also acknowledging the possibility that she may not be able to remain on council.

taking care of business …

Word has it that as Bega prepared for the arrival of the “movers & shakers” for council’s grand Roundtable Event to sort-out the Shire’s economic future, preparations were also underway to close Merimbula Airport to allow for necessary survey work to be carried-out ahead of the planned runway extension works.

As it turns out, the inconvenience visited on business operators at the airport was entirely unnecessary as the surveyors weren’t able to make it & the airport wasn’t closed. Apparently, the reason the surveyors had to cancel their visit is the fact that they are from Queensland & by travelling to Merimbula they would have apparently fallen foul of the Covid2019 restrictions.

Now some residents might wonder why council had gone to the trouble of trying to import surveyors from Queensland to work on the Merimbula Airport runway extension project, given that the south coast of NSW proudly boasts a strong cohort of very well qualified professionals in that regard. Just another of many inexplicable mysteries that seem to accompany just about everything that council does.

2021 Council Election …

In keeping with its Purpose, the association is determined to play an active part in the next Council election, by publicly endorsing & supporting candidates that it believes will strengthen & enhance the standards & quality of local government in the Bega Valley Shire.

To be very clear to everyone, the association does not aspire to be a political party, so the candidates that we might choose to support will not be representing the association, but rather the residents/ratepayers who elect them.

Having said that, the association is committed to improving the performance of Local Government, in particular with a view to ensuring that the best interests of residents & ratepayers are at the forefront of all council decisions; that best practice standards are pursued in the delivery of all council services & that such services are delivered in the most efficient & cost-effective manner possible.

just another moment in time …

According to the Merimbula News Weekly (MNW), Cr Sharon Tapscott believes that the failure of the federal government to afford direct representation of local government in the National Cabinet is an “absolute travesty”.

Cr Tapscott is reported to have claimed that “there should be at least one of the local government national executives on the cabinet, or at least there as an advisor”.

The association believes that in expressing those views, Cr Tapscott demonstrates that she simply doesn’t appear to understand the role of the National Cabinet, any better than she & most of her colleagues appear to understand council’s finances.

road to recovery …

In its devastating assessment of the impact of bushfires & the Covid19 pandemic on the Bega Valley Shire economy, this week’s ID Report reportedly forecast a fall in Gross Regional Product (GRP) of $52M or 13.9% for the June Quarter, 2020, compared to the previous year, rendering it the 6th worst impacted of the 95 regional Local Government Areas (LGAs) in NSW.

According to ID, the shire’s capacity to pursue economic recovery is hindered by the fact that there has been zero growth in the local economy, including jobs, in the three years to December, 2019. Coupled with a low rate of building approvals in the same period & a high reliance on impacted industries, such as tourism, & a high level of part-time work, the risk to the shire’s economic recovery is even greater.

Given our shire’s comparative economic standing with the rest of NSW, the association believes that the state & federal governments should be making a major practical investment in the shire by committing to the relocation of government agencies to the area.

a matter of capability …

According to Facebook, Cr Russell - “Rusty” - Fitzpatrick enjoyed a Birthday last Saturday.

Whether one of life’s little anniversaries will tempt the Deputy Mayor to chance his luck & pursue the top job at council at this week’s Mayoral Election remains to be seen.

The association believes that if the former bank clerk, publican & member of everything is willing to pursue the role of Mayor, the performance of council is bound to improve in the short term under his leadership.

too little, too late …

Toward the end of this week’s council meeting, Cr Dodds reminded her colleagues that it was the 2nd anniversary of the Yankees Gap bushfire that ravaged property & destroyed three homes between Bemboka & Numbugga over a two month period in August/September, 2018.

The association believes that the victims of the Yankees Gap bushfire have every reason to be angry & disgusted by the failure of council to respond to their plight in a meaningful way.

The association also believes that council has once again demonstrated that its alleged concern for the wellbeing of the community usually only extends to keeping-up appearances, while manufacturing opportunities to congratulate itself for doing little or nothing of substance when the need arises.

fractured fairy tales …

The association is a resolute supporter of equal opportunity.

At the same time, the association believes that to achieve the best possible outcomes for residents & ratepayers through local government, our communities should encourage the most capable candidates to seek election as councillors.

In what the association believes to be one of the worst decisions taken by the current NSW Government, the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, & the Minister for Mental Health, Regional Youth & Women, Bronnie Taylor, last week issued a joint Media Release announcing a $100,000 publicly funded campaign to encourage more women to stand for election as councillors at the next Local Government Elections in September, 2021.

on openness & transparency …

Commenting in response to his election as Mayor of the Bega valley Shire, Cr Russell Fitzpatrick made it clear that the number one priority of council during his term would be to address the council’s financial situation, including resolving questions around the historic management of council’s cash reserves.

The association welcomes Cr Fitzpatrick’s commitment, in particular as it has long campaigned for action by the elected council to rectify the ongoing failure by council management to properly manage the shire’s finances.

While the association believes that Cr Fitzpatrick is genuinely committed to improving council’s performance, it also believes that he & his colleagues will need to do a whole lot more than simply mouth such claims, given the longstanding refusal of council management to accept accountability for its consistent under-performance.

down the rabbit hole …

With the advent of the Covid2019 pandemic, the state government authorised the introduction of virtual council meetings in an effort to minimise the spread of the virus amongst councillors, officials & members of the public attending council meetings.

In announcing an extension of the arrangements to March, 2021, Ms Hancock also stated that one of its aims was to help increase the diversity of people who run for local council & to attract more women.

The association believes that the justification offered by Ms Hancock for the changes are superficial & simply do not stand up to scrutiny. To suggest that community members, in particular women, would find it easier to abandon their “family & carer responsibilities” if they could attend meetings electronically is fanciful & indeed offensive.

avoiding the tears …

At its ordinary meeting of council held on October 30th, 2019, in response to a Motion moved by Cr Russell Fitzpatrick, council resolved:

“That council staff only respond to the BVSRRA correspondence within the priorities of the Council’s resources and that any items requiring current or historical financial data be refused until council staff are in a position to reply.”

The above action was taken by council following a number of highly embarrassing incidents involving incorrect information pertaining to the council’s financial management & performance being published, including information in annual reports & financial statements authorised by council’s senior management & elected councillors.

value for money …

Given her performance on local ABC Radio this week, Eden-Monaro residents must already be wondering what value for money they will receive from their new parliamentary representative, Kristy McBain MP.

At the end of the day, it seems that Ms McBain’s approach is to simply complain that the federal government is not doing enough to assist her electorate without being willing or able to offer constructive alternate proposals that she & her Labor Party colleagues believe deserve attention.

On a more positive note, the association believes the suggestion that Ms McBain should donate her annual fees as a councillor to local charities involved in bushfire recovery activities will be well received by the community, in particular given her significantly improved circumstances following her election as the Member for Eden-Monaro.

on diversity …

A couple of weeks ago, the association sparked a debate in response to a NSW Government announcement of a publicly-funded campaign to encourage more women to stand for election as Councillors at the next Local Government Elections in September, 2021.

While the association supports absolutely the principle of Equal Opportunity, it does not accept for a moment that Gender Equality is the same thing.

The association believes that if the NSW Government is serious about promoting the need for Diversity in Local Government, it should direct the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, & the Minister for Mental Health, Regional Youth & Women, Bronnie Taylor, to amend their planned public education campaign so as to encourage every community member to consider standing for election, not just women.

drive-in, drive-out democracy …

The Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association (BVSRRA) maintains strong links & common interests in Local Government with our cousins across the Victorian border in East Gippsland, through the East Gippsland Community Action Group.

The following piece was written by Linette Treasure, a member of the group’s Management Committee & contains more than a few similarities with Beg Valley Shire Council.

Like a sort of drive-in drive-out democracy, Shire Council Elections have cycled round again ...

on nonsense …

The NSW Government’s half-baked proposal to replace public council meetings, currently open to residents & ratepayers, with “virtual” on-line meetings from which they will be excluded, is simply a further cynical attempt to make government & its representatives less available & accountable to the electorate.

Notwithstanding the complete absence of evidence to support their contention, the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, & the Minister for Mental Health, Regional Youth & Women, Bronnie Taylor, argue that the convenience of such an arrangement would result in more women being able to participate in local government.

This latest attempt to insulate Councillors from the electorate & allow government to operate even more secretively is just more of the same nonsense, albeit dressed-up as an attempt to improve the quality of representation in local government affairs.

betrayed …

The association believes that the shameful action by the NSW Department of Crown Lands (Crown Lands) in threatening to terminate the lease of the building housing the Marine Discovery Centre & six other local businesses at the Eden Wharf, which forced the Centre to enter into Voluntary Administration, may have been a deliberate move designed to regain control of the building as a necessary step to its demolition & conversion into a carpark to service the needs of the new Welcome Centre.

The association finds it more than a little curious that no consideration appears to have been given to providing access for the Marine Discovery Centre & the other businesses to the new Welcome Centre, while the State & Federal Governments could find room to house tourist friendly services such as Police & Border Force commands, while Eden’s Information Centre is to be uprooted from its central location & relocated to the Welcome Centre.

Most curious of all is the deafening silence in response to this crime from the Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, who has been quoted as saying that “he was unable to get involved with commercial negotiations”.

on dumb ideas …

In yet another questionable report, council’s general manager revealed at last week’s ordinary meeting that council had received an “unsolicited” proposal from an airline seeking approval to commence a trial air passenger service between Sydney & Merimbula, commencing in mid-December.

Of course Rex reacted predictably to the news, announcing that it would withdraw from servicing the route, leaving council, as well as residents & ratepayers, to ponder what the future might bring should Qantas decide not to continue its service beyond the trial period & at once making the claim by council’s Mayor, Russell Fitzpatrick, that the move by Qantas would "offer greater choice & value for customers, helping bring more visitors to the region" totally ridiculous.

The sad reality is that in our future Covid2019 world, council’s ambition of turning the south coast into a “fly-in, fly-out” tourist Mecca, attracting hundreds of thousands of additional tourist visitors to the area, is now even less likely to be realised, while Merimbula Airport will remain just another glaring example of council’s wilful irresponsibility & mismanagement.

on empty promises …

The association believes that the crisis confronted by council over the management of its financial affairs was not the making of council’s current finance staff but rather their predecessors.

In spite of the above, the majority of councillors resisted pressure to investigate council’s financial management, notwithstanding that same majority of councillors acknowledged that they did not understand council’s finances, until finally, on August 26th, 2020, Crs Nadin & Bain succeeded in having council adopt a resolution to conduct a four year baseline audit review of its 2016–2020 financial accounts.

With less than a year to go before the next Council Elections, council is fast running-out of time to re-establish its financial credibility with residents & ratepayers.

more fake news …

According to ABC Radio South East News:

“The Bega Valley Shire Council says concerns over its financial deficit have been resolved after an $85M surplus was found.”

The association believes that statement is entirely inaccurate & may have seriously misled residents & ratepayers of the Bega Valley as to council’s financial standing.

The association also believes that if the ABC was provided with that information by a representative of council, that representative should be publicly identified & disciplined.

an abuse of power …

While the State Government’s Crown Lands Department was busy trashing the invaluable local educational institution, the Marine Discovery Centre in Eden, destroying it & another half a dozen businesses in the name of Cruise Ship tourism, council has been doing its part to destroy valuable local community groups through the pursuit of massive rent increases for premises on Crown Lands.

While there is no suggestion that anyone should get a “free ride” when it comes to the use of community assets, previous councils have adopted a far more sympathetic approach to protecting & assisting local not-for-profit community groups than has the current council.

Like its approach to ratepayers more generally, the current council seems very determined to optimise its income from community groups on the one hand, even if it threatens their survival, while providing handouts to developers, engaging in high risk real estate speculation & squandering millions of dollars on highly questionable projects such as Merimbula Airport.

on muddy waters …

In a Media Release last week, the association questioned both the source & accuracy of an ABC South East Radio news report stating:

“The Bega Valley Shire Council says concerns over its financial deficit have been resolved after an $85M surplus was found.”

The scale of the potential deception can be recognised by highlighting the fact that council’s general rates income for 2018-2019 was budgeted at $24.3M, meaning that an $85M surplus would equate to more than three years’ general rates income.

she said …

While the association has little time for the self-serving activities of the Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain, it holds the same view regarding her former Liberal opponent at the recent by-election for the federal parliamentary seat, Dr Fiona Kotvojs.

As far as the association is concerned, it seems that the claims & counterclaims made by our so-called political “representatives” are mostly designed to disparage their political opponents, while serving only to confuse the public when it comes to understanding what is really going-on & what has really happened.

The association is certain that there are times when members of the public wish that their politicians would stop trashing each other & just go-away, given their apparent inability to communicate honestly on the facts of issues of vital concern to the community.

on abusing trust …

At the beginning of 2020, the association became concerned about one particular public fundraiser, allegedly being conducted for the benefit of two charitable organisations, where $150K was said to have been raised through ticket sales but where no funds apparently found their way to the charities concerned.

The association contacted NSW Fair Trading to raise its concerns & request an investigation into the fundraising activities to ensure that they had been undertaken in accordance with legal requirements.

Over the past 10 months the association has pursued the NSW Fair Trading in an attempt to confirm the outcome of its original inquiry, but with little success.

sleight of hand …

How else to characterise the proposal by the Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, to fund the demolition of the former home of the Eden Marine Discovery Centre at the Eden Wharf & the construction of a new building using $10M of bushfire funds intended to assist in recovery of the broader Eden community.

Whatever grand ideas that Mr Constance might come-up with to solve the Eden Wharf debacle created by Crown Lands, their cost should not be met by redirecting promised bushfire relief funding for the Eden community.

That’s called sleight of hand.

on accountability …

Last week the association wrote to the Mayor, Cr Russell Fitzpatrick, seeking a public clarification in respect of an ABC South East Radio News report claiming that:

“The Bega Valley Shire Council says concerns over its financial deficit have been resolved after an $85M surplus was found.”

Regrettably, both Cr Fitzpatrick & the ABC have thus far refused to publicly correct the original erroneous news report, seemingly satisfied with the fact that residents & ratepayers have once again been seriously misled on the status of council’s financial affairs.

a familiar refrain …

Copy of a Letter to the Editor of the Bairnsdale Advertiser re Local Government.

Drive-in Drive-out Democracy …

on public trust …

In response to representations by the association, council has issued a Public Statement correcting an earlier news report broadcast by ABC South East Radio regarding council’s alleged surplus in 2019/2020.

The Statement makes it clear that the reference to an $85M “surplus” was incorrect & that the $85M was in fact the total of council’s Reserve Funds held as at June 30th, 2020.

The association believes that public trust & confidence in council is a function of its openness & transparency, in particular through the publication of timely & accurate information, & appreciates Cr Fitzpatrick taking prompt action to publicly correct the earlier misreporting.

on productivity …

LSI Consultants, productivity specialists who have analysed the performance of 128 NSW Councils based on their own adopted & published Financial Statements, last week issued a damning assessment of council, stating that its performance has declined significantly over the past four years to 2019.

According to LSI, council’s performance is a mark of its failure to contain its expenditure relative to its income & is deteriorating.

The association believes that unless strong action is taken to hold council management & the elected council accountable for their performance, rates will keep rising at more than double the inflation rate, just as they have over the past decade, with residential council rates currently averaging about $1050 in NSW, significantly less than the Bega Valley.

follow the money …

The association believes that the residents of Kiah & Wandella must be delighted by the reported announcement by the Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, that the State Government will allocate $3M from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund for the rebuilding of three Community Halls destroyed in NSW in the recent bushfires, including the Community Halls at Kiah & Wandella.

While some in our community might be comfortable with the notion that taxpayers more broadly should be comfortable with the idea that they should directly fund the full replacement cost of the community halls, regardless of any indirect financial benefit that might be pocketed by council, others might be offended that taxpayers are being asked to fund what appears to be no more than a cash gift to help-out an incompetent council.

chaos reigns …

One of the great challenges faced by the association is obtaining relevant factual information from council.

Council-watching residents & ratepayers would have noticed that council’s Director of Assets & Operations tabled a report on April 29th this year, recommending that council enter into a five year lease for 700 square metres of additional office accommodation in Bega, with cost of the proposed space running to $125K annually, as well as one-off fit-out costs of $100K.

The association’s response to the above was to wonder how efficiently council was managing the use of its existing accommodation, in particular as the Director’s report acknowledged that council is in the process of developing a long-term “Staff Accommodation Strategy”.

on phony regulation …

The association believes that Australia is one of the most regulated countries in the world, with many of the established regulatory regimes at all levels of government intended to protect consumers & public safety.

But not so when it comes to Telecommunications.

Last week, the Physicians’ Health Initiative for Radiation & Environment (PHiRE) & the British Society for Ecological Medicine issued a Press Release to make clear the concerns of medical experts & practitioners from around the world about the negative health effects of escalating Non-Ionising Radiation (NIR) exposure.

once upon a time …

Some would argue that Merimbula’s decline has been a long time coming, possibly dating back to the Victorian Government’s decision in 1991 to allow poker machines in hotels & clubs.

Almost overnight, the attraction of clubs in Merimbula that drew tens of thousands of tourists & millions of dollars in income for the town evaporated. The knock-on effect of that major change has gradually seen the steady decline or disappearance of many local businesses & a serious decline in employment as the town morphed into more of a large scale retirement village, seemingly stranded in “Supermarket City”.

This year’s bushfires & the Covid19 pandemic have only quickened the pace of the town’s decline.

a law unto itself …

Having successfully alienated the Shire’s longstanding aircraft passenger service provider, Rex Airlines, in exchange for the secret but doubtless empty blandishments of Qantas, council will sit down this week to plot the future of the financial ‘black hole’ that has become Merimbula Airport.

As with everything that council touches, its latest plans are long in promise & short on delivery, with plans to borrow millions more, reduce promised facilities & pursue further mindless development, as always without any consultation with airport business owners & the wider community.

It seems clear, just as it always has, that council management is a law unto itself & treats the elected council with the same contempt that it treats the majority of residents & ratepayers.

on Heritage …

Anyone who believes that council is genuinely concerned about preserving the cultural heritage of the Bega Valley should take quick walk along Carp Street in Bega & count the number of historic buildings lost to development over the past 50 years, ruining the streetscape in comparison to many regional towns that have fiercely protected their history.

Alternatively, they could read about council’s more recent failed attempt to “relocate” the cherished Dr Evershed Memorial Clock Tower in Bega, without community consultation & allegedly to allow for the construction of a set of traffic lights, but rumoured by some to be an attempt to facilitate a nearby commercial development.

They might also care to reflect on council’s actions that almost resulted in the destruction of the iconic Pretty Point Bridge the following year.

a real shambles …

Earlier his month the association questioned the justification for council’s decision to lease 700 square metres of prime office space in Bega for five years at a cost of $125K annually, plus an estimated $100K in fit-out costs.

While council hasn’t confirmed the number, the association believes the new premises are intended to accommodate upwards of 60-90 council employees (subject to Covid19 limits) while significant renovations to council’s administrative building in Zingel Place are undertaken.

The association is concerned that council could have housed the same number of employees at the Regional Learning Centre in Merimbula, remembering that one of the primary justifications for its purchase some five years ago was to accommodate around 80 council employees.

on arrogant conceit …

It would seem that council’s arrogant conceit knows no bounds.

On August 19th, 2019, the association wrote to council requesting basic information regarding the Shire’s street lighting regime.

Council responded to the association’s request for information in its usual unhelpful fashion by initially confirming that its request had been “put on hold” & would be addressed “when the general manager has determined finance staff have the necessary resources to undertake the necessary research into this matter”, before council’s general manager arrogantly informed the association this month (some 15 months after it had submitted its request) that she had determined “that it would be an unreasonable use of staff resources to collate the information requested”.

on tax …

The association believes that it is in the interests of every taxpayer, in particular landowners, to read the NSW Government’s Discussion Paper proposing the gradual replacement of its existing Stamp Duty regime, along with the abolition of the current Land Tax regime, with a new, broad-based, Property Tax, if for no other reason than to understand the potential implications of the proposals for them.

The association believes that in the circumstances there is a real need for a larger public discussion about the need for broader tax reform that would not only allow for the dismantling of regressive tax regimes such as Stamp Duty, but other equally pernicious taxes such as Payroll Tax & Vehicle Registration fees, while finding an effective way to make-up the resulting revenue shortfall.

a familiar refrain …

In the Executive Summary of his 10 page, 30 Day report addressing the parlous financial position of the Central Coast Council (CCC), council’s Interim Administrator, Dick Persson AM, highlighted a number of critical findings, while also detailing a series of measures necessary to turn that situation around.

While CCC is a significantly larger council than its cousin in the Bega Valley, with an Income before grants & contributions for capital purposes more than two & a half times bigger, the association believes that Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) has suffered from some of the same acts of maladministration & failed performance that ultimately led to it ordering a “baseline audit for the 2106, 2017, 2018 & 2019 financial years” in August, 2020.

During the four year period under review, council recorded accumulated deficits, before grants & contributions for capital purposes, of more than $12.8M, not including the 2020 result still to be released, while it has been acknowledged that a majority of councillors failed to understand or practise the basics of sound financial management.


on community consultation …

Much ado was made about council’s “Counsellors in the Community” sessions conducted last month.

While the association has no reason to doubt the sincerity of Cr Fitzpatrick’s claims, it would have been a whole lot more impressed if more councillors had taken the trouble to attend the six sessions & if senior staff were a lot less cynical about the exercise, only the third such public consultation process held in the past four years.

Many in the community believe that such feedback sessions would produce more positive outcomes if council’s senior management stayed at home or even better, lived somewhere-else. They also believe that a great deal more could be achieved if the sessions were professionally facilitated.  

alarum, alarum …

“Warning of tough times ahead for council” cried the local media last week in response to council’s Quarterly Budget Review Statement (QBRS) forecasting a net operating deficit of $9.7M for 2021.

How about “Warning of tough times ahead for residents & ratepayers” who will inevitably be expected to pick-up the tab for council’s financial mismanagement.

The association believes that the only meaningful service that the current council can perform for the residents & ratepayers of the Bega Valley is to resign, but only after insisting that council’s general manager should stand down.

simple evidence …

Last month the association highlighted an interview broadcast by ABC Radio South East with LSI Consultants, productivity specialists who have analysed the performance of 128 NSW Councils based on their own adopted & published Financial Statements, during which it offered a damning assessment of council, revealing that its performance has declined significantly over the past five years to 2019.

This week the association published further evidence of council’s financial mismanagement, based on its latest forecast of an $8.9M deficit for 2021 which, if it proves accurate, would mean that the current council has managed to produce $18.5M in total net operating deficits during its term in office (including a small surplus of $1.5M for 2020, reported this week).

The association has now received further information from LSI which validates the association’s core criticism of council’s financial mismanagement through a simple & easily understood analysis.

in plain sight …

On first appearance, council seems to have weathered its 2019-2020 financial year reasonably well, producing a small surplus for the year before grants & contributions for capital purposes of $1.5M versus a budgeted deficit of $6.9M.

If residents & ratepayers require more evidence of council’s collapsing financial health & performance, they might care to reflect on the fact that while BVSC has always been among the top performing councils in the Group 4 category of regional councils, under the current council it is now finds itself amongst the worst performing in nearly every meaningful measure than its former peers.

Not a pretty sight at all.

flogged with a feather …

“… it is apparent that year-end financial processes were not in place to ensure all expenditure that may have had a claimable component was claimed.

It should have been evident that with expenses of that magnitude that budgets would likely have been significantly exceeded & questions should have been asked, why & where the funds to match or offset the expenditure was coming from.

This was not the only failing in the process however, prior to year-end, budgets should have been being monitored throughout the hierarchy of responsibility for that area & issues identified with, what would have appeared to be, excessive expenditure for which there was no matching revenue source.”

just a another sad joke …

More rubbish dressed-up as journalism on our ABC South East Radio this week.

Apart from the usual fare of brain-busting trivia, our ABC featured interviews with two of the world’s greatest movers & shakers, the Member for Bega, Andrew Constance & a previously unheard of spruiker for Telstra.

No wonder public trust is in the toilet.

the common touch …

Former Bega Valley shire Mayor & recently elected Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain, hit the big time recently as one of the guest panellists on the ABC’s popular Q&A program, which regularly reaches an average audience of almost 600,000 Australians.

Asked what image best sums-up 2020 for her, Ms McBain said in her response:

“The first image that comes to mind is an image of the Bermagui Country Club.
There were about 2,000 people in the room New Year’s Day, or the 2nd of January I think it was, & I was trying to give people as much information as possible because the Badger fire was coming back & was headed towards toward the township of Bermagui.”

on alleged fraud …

Last month, the association was both surprised & disappointed to receive a letter from the general manager of council alleging that an item of council correspondence previously uploaded to the association’s website had subsequently been downloaded & doctored by someone allegedly attempting to perpetrate a fraud against an unnamed community organisation.

In her letter, Ms Barnes also requested the association to remove all items of council correspondence published on its website & Facebook page & to refrain from posting any such items consisting of “council’s letterhead & signature blocks”. Ms Barnes also confirmed that she would be instructing council staff to place a clause on all future council correspondence to the association “noting that it must not be reproduced or circulated or published“.

In its response to Ms Barnes this week, the association confirmed its view that council has no authority to direct it to do anything, while citing a number of reasons why the association will not comply with her request.

 
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