Council cuts reflect financial losses

The library is one of the services council provides which is essential to the whole community. The new round of restricted hours presupposes that people are able to leave work during work hours to use the library.

We need better access outside working and school hours to our libraries, not further restrictions.

Libraries provide essential services for the entire community.

Again, with typical spin, we are told the new hours will "improve existing services".

It's about time we were straight talking about the fact that council assertions claim we "didn't lose a red cent" in council investments, now that realised losses are just beginning to show themselves.

We are experiencing the beginnings of cuts to community services and budgets, compared with last years' expenditures, and increases in costs for community access to such things as hall and theatre rentals and the like (such services already being heavily subsidised by community volunteers, as evidenced at Laycock St Theatre).

And this is only the beginning of realising losses from massive investment mistakes which council and the mayor would have us believe, from public statements including to the ABC, do not exist.

Pull the other leg.

Let's be frank about what is really happening in cutbacks to "community services" and "development" directorate.

These losses are just starting to be realised!

There are many areas of waste and unnecessary expenditure that council could address before cutting back on community facilities at this time.

Let's have a public and open enquiry, with suggestions as to priorities for council's budget cuts coming from the community.

Email, 24 Mar 2010 Kay Williams, Pearl Beach