‘Shame’ council made our minds up for us

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Dear Editor,

I was not surprised to read that Yass Valley Council was not considered ‘fit for future’ by IPART.

Most Yass residents have known this for some time. Sadly, it is also not shocking that some councillors voted almost immediately for a rate rise, without further community consultation, and despite $5 or $10 million being on offer for community infrastructure.

Councils in regional NSW are also eligible for a merger implementation grant of $5 million towards the up-front costs of merging. But the blinkers were already on, a merger was never given genuine consideration by Council.

Only eight days after the release of the Report, councillors voted on their response, let’s put rates up! That will save us! I commend Crs Frost, Jones and Burgess for voting against rate rises, for at least looking for a better way forward for the future.

This is about long term reform, sweetened by short term infrastructure grants that should not be ignored.

Nearby councils, such as Forbes and Goulburn, have been holding urgent, open, public meetings to discuss the IPART findings and where they go from here.

Not in Yass, apparently. As usual, open public meetings are not front of mind of senior council staff. And good luck trying to find information on their website.

But let’s say, for arguments sake, Yass and two nearby councils merged, and decided to split the $10 million with a significant spend in each of the previous council zones. $3 million would buy Yass a fantastic new indoor pool and community sport and recreation complex that is very much needed.

Or it could fund an innovative solar farm at Murrumbateman, Binalong or Gundaroo, that could soon power the whole town for nothing, like Tathra recently did. The Tathra community have provided solar power to every community building in the town in Australia’s first community-owned solar farm. The group, Clean Energy for Eternity, is now partnering with the Bega Valley Shire Council, and looking to expand the project. Fancy that! A progressive community partnership with Council! Wonders never cease.

I am not convinced a merged council will result in poorer services or relationships with residents, how much worse could it get?

The short and long term financial benefits of a merger must be discussed and approaches from other councils given full consideration.

If we don’t get serious and shape our own future with an open mind, it’s clear the NSW Government will do it for us. And I would much rather take my children to local swimming lessons during winter, or have free power to community buildings, for example, than sit around extolling the virtues of an independent, but antiquated, local council.

The community expects genuine consideration of all options available to us, and to be consulted and included in coming to a position now the report has been released.

It’s a shame council has already made up our minds for us.

Rebecca Duncan

YASS  NSW  2582