Ed Chatwin's Blog

The community interest in this General Council Meeting was limited to a gallery of ten or so people.

While the councillors for the acceptance of the Motion eulogised about the overall fairness and fiscally responsible of the budget, the division on the vote saw it approved with a 4 to 3 voting. Slim to say the least.

Cr. Owen was against the Motion for approval, had these two points, that the Officer second football oval had no pavillon and the players and officials had to walk some 150 metres from the existing building to play! And the second was that the additional 3% on the differential rate for Lakeside Pakenham was discriminatory.

Cr. Ross was of the opinion that the 5.8% rate increase was too high and was not in line with CPI. Also, that the debt burden was not addressed in this budget severely enough. Both items formed part of his election platform.

Cr. Chatwin expressed an opinion on several fronts;

Rate increase was reasonable and not excessive or too demanding on the ratepayers. There were safeguards in place to consider those ratepayers in financial troubles.

Reducing Govt. grants to the Shire.

Debt reduction programme of $8.9 mill. over four years will not be achieved and was cosmetic and  illusory. It is doubtful that Councillors will honour their election promises or have the long term commitment to debt reduction for there are more reasons to spend and look good than adopt a prudent way!

The distribution of new capital was grossly unfair to the rural wards, with the attention to the growth area is unseemly.  Four sevenths of the shires’ ratepayers funds are supporting the ”over the top” expenditure on infrastructure in the growth area, and believe it or not, before the population arrives. 

 $3.0 milion a year in debt servicing costs.

More later!!!!