Council operating budget needs to fix problems
Administrator Hart claims that "a large percentage of Council's operating budget is invested in roads." (CCN 10 June, page 3).
Well, that is not enough.
It does not cover the poorly designed and badly maintained roads and drains, lack of kerbing, guttering and footpaths.
Nor the verges, parklands and open spaces overgrown and choked with weeds and litter.
Nor the badly designed and poorly maintained stormwater outfalls eroding sand dunes and destroying foreshores and waterways.
Mr Hart needs to invest the largest part of our ratepayers' revenue in the operating budget and then make sure that the largest percentage of that is spent on fixing those problems.
That will go a large percentage of the way to improving liveability, habitability and the environment for the largest part of the population of this local government area.
And it will also provide infrastructure to support the increasing development and growth Council keeps approving.
Mr Hart and the chief executive claim to have been clever in rescuing the budget so quickly from its catastrophic state.
With that done, and while they don't have to deal with "interference from councillors", let's now see how quickly they can turn things around on the ground.
SOURCE:
Email, 13 Jun 2022
Ian Weekley, Umina Beach