Mail Box

John Neve kicks this edition off with not one but two of his finest then we’ve printed in full a letter from another concerned ratepayer.. more power to you all!

Nancy Says. # 25
 
“Council must be open and accountable” Nancy says!
I say welcome aboard Nancy. I have been trying to
tell you this for the last 6 or 7 years, with no
support from you. In fact you support the very people
who oppose open council.
 
I have Questions on Notice that have been there for
months and will probable never be answered. I have
letters from council which tell me “the matter is still
under consideration” but that I will be advised in due
course. We have had a change of mayor and CEO
since then, but still no reply. Most of our councillors
treat “open and accountable” council with contempt.
What they say and what they do are poles apart and
Nancy you are supportive.
 
Rubbery Figures

There is nothing like rubbery figures when it comes to
selling a rate rise. Mayor Mick tells us (26/6/08),
“Budget fair”, he goes on to tell us “council was
working towards a rates increase of 7%, which was
CPI plus 2% growth”.
Where do the figures come from Mick? The worst I
can find are March 2008, all groups CPI 4.2 as we
normally go to the nearest whole figure, which in
this case is 4. We should be looking at a rate rise of
6% not 7%.
Is this another one of Nancy’s euphemisms?
 
John A Neve

–0–

And finally Alan of Maryborough writes:

I have a comment on rates.
 
The rumour is that rates for the new FCRC will be 12 monthly now instead of 6 monthly as Maryborough rate payers are used to.  I can imagine the horror on ratepayers faces when they open their rates notices in August or September and are confronted with a $2,000 bill!!  I know I’m not looking forward to it.  Sure it’s great that Council saves money by only having to do one major mail out for the rates notices as opposed to 2 or even 4 if they go for quarterly rates but on the other hand, I can imagine the rates arrears will probably climb even higher as people struggle to pay such a large bill at once.  And imagine the interest the Council will be charging on those rates arrears, they will build rather rapidly as well.
 
What’s the bet that they increase rates by more than 7% as well.  Let’s hope they also don’t decrease the pensioner remission.  And lets hope they leave the 15% early bird discount in place too. 
 
Also, ex-Maryborough Council allowed ratepayers to set up direct debit systems to help pay their rates, ex-Hervey Bay doesn’t allow for this and basically tells their ratepayers to organise there own B-pay payments.  How’s that for being helpful.
 
I want it publicly announced whether the new Council is going to bring in the nasty fee that Hervey Bay charges new home owners of $80 for a change of ownership fee.  This is blatantly sneaky way of increasing rates revenue by charging ratepayers a fee for a service that Council has to do.  When you buy a property you pay Dept Natural Resources to have your name put on the title of that property, then DNR advises Council who amends the rating record by deleting the previous owners name and inserting the new owners name.  The work involved to process this entry would take less than 20 minutes.  How dare they charge the new owner $80 for that.  It’s outrageous.  Talk about double dipping the poor bugger trying to own a property.  Once you work out the figures, with a conservative estimate of maybe 4,000 property ownership changes in the whole FCRC area each year and that equates to $320,000 - with the majority of that being profit for the Council.  I do believe that ex-Maryborough, Tiaro and Woocoo Councils never charged a fee to process a change of ownership.  If Councillors agree to allow this, then they all deserve to be booted out at the next election.
 
From all I’ve heard around, Hervey Bay has done a wonderful job at a mass takeover of the other 3 Councils.  Staff morale is at an all time low, and building and town planning applications are back logging at a huge pace due to there not being systems put in place for a smooth amalgamation.  What was the rush anyway!?  Wouldn’t it have been smarter to ease new systems in that actually worked instead of untangling the colossal balls up that it is now!?
 
I’d like to see the supposedly full time Councillors actually doing full time work.  Why is Gerard O’Connell still working full time at the high school?  He must really enjoy paying lots of tax doing 2 full time jobs.
 
My two cents worth.
 
BBS writes: Thanks Alan, you’ve no doubt raised a few issues many others would like answered and we are sure in coming weeks there will be many more.. Is Cr O’Connell really two timing?  How he can possibly successfully work two “full-time” jobs, hold down memberships on other committees AND raise a young family we do not know.. all the best to him - Gerrard is a thinking not a follower. 

Weekend Edition

What does a set of $4000 coffee machines, $70,000+ cars and and a hopeless communications system have in common?  Well possibly not a lot.. unless you count the ropable ratepayers coughing up the dough for it all.

Latest stories doing the rounds also report that just after amalgamations several rather expensive coffee machines appeared at the Kent Street council offices.  Wouldn’t it be far cheaper to organise the coffee van to drop by several times a day?  Or what about the council field staff who can’t contact their managers because of bugs in the phone systems?

Everyday we’re hearing more and more stories of the hopeless happenings down at council HQ.   We’re not too impressed to hear of the council manager who resides on the Sunshine Coast and has been accomodated in a Hervey Bay motel since his appointment to the old Hervey Bay City Council - at who’s cost we might ask? 

Or how about the report of council putting the brakes on maintenance of all council vehicles while at the same time they see fit to give senior managers expensive new fuel thirsty vehicles with rear dvd players - for visiting VIPs to watch promotional clips of the region?  We doubt it - but the kiddies must love it when taken on weekend outings!

Now we’d love to confirm these and many more stories but hey.. we don’t even get responses on questions on notice from official council meetings.  How about the latest - Sue Brooks (FCRC Ordinary Meeting No. 4) requested information regarding WBW employing security guards at Lenthals Dam recreational area.    Sue asked if that area was open to the public as she had not seen any public notices stating contrary.    Further, she asked why if that was true, was the area closed?  Sue, don’t hold your breath but we’d love to hear some answers too!

 

Damn the Dam let’s protest!

What an exciting weekend we have coming up.  This weekend is the annual Wheels on Wide Bay motoring festival.  Held at Maryborough Park, WOW is an event all car enthusiasts must not miss.  But we digress..

What is not to be missed this weekend is the State Government’s regional cabinet meeting.  The meeting itself will be nothing more than hot air but lets see how many of us can get out there Sunday afternoon with our Anti-Dam posters, shirts, bikinis - whatever and show the government we are not going to back down.  We don’t want your dam Anna - not now, not tomorrow, not ever!

Water Park Update

This is the latest news I have on the proposed Water
Park.
 
Proposed opening date: 9th June 2009, in time for
the Queens Q150 celebrations.
 
Purpose: Public education regarding water
sustainability. It will show water treatment,
desalination and sewer mining plus some?
 
Location: Seven sites were looked at, with the
North end of Main Street abutting the Seafront Oval
being chosen.
 
Design: Whales and Dolphins will be predominate
as they are Aboriginal totems for this area. There
will be permanent CCTV security and the toilet
block will be environmentally friendly. The project
will be wheelchair friendly.
 
Features: Underneath the play area will be a 1.8
megalitre storage tank for storm-water.
 
Costs: it is envisaged that running cost will be
covered by sponsorship, cafe’s and the SurfRider
and seasonal attractions.
 
I hope the above is of interest and helpful,
 
John A Neve

BBS writes: we’ve printed this information as contributed - we are yet to confirm the details ourselves but if this is true we’ll just ask  - who will “sponsor” this facility?  Ratepayers via council rates or inflated water charges? Where is the business case for the park and where is the proof it will not become a burden to the community?

Mail Box

Frasercoastbarfly writes:

Dear BBS

I like reading your site and have a great interest in the council goings on but why do you only focus on the council? What about all the state government problems, stuff ups and ignorance going on?
Just one example is the local member in Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara - the “minister Anna made”
His arrogance to the people in the Mary valley is beyond belief.

Just read his sarcastic reply to Chris Foley’s question to him in parliament recently about the Traveston Dam. Totally ignored Foley’s question and merely used sarcasm to denigrate Mr Foley.

Now the Save the Mary group have asked for deputations with the Ministerial talkfest this weekend and guess what? Yep. Mr McNamara has arrogantly refused to talk to them. Not even given them a reason. Obviously “Not his problem”. The people of Hervey Bay and Queensland are sick and tired of paying a local member/minister $200,000 per year to treat them like insignificant specks of dirt and refuse to talk to them in any public forum.

Strewthisback responds: frasercoastbarfly thankyou for the feedback.. we look forward to adding a state government category and welcome any relevant contributions from all readers. 

Fraser Waters - Looking for answers.

Like our predecessor we’ve had correspondence from mum and dad investors who had a bad taste left in their mouth over the Fraser Waters Development at Toogoom

A national broadcaster is on the hunt for those affected by this development and has asked for anyone affected by the development to come forward.  Anyone with information should get in touch with Bringbackstrewth so we can forward your details to the journalist.  Email us at bringbackstrewth@gmail.com

The first hundred days - John Neve

One can only hope the first 100 days are the worst 100 days and that things can only get better.  Nancy Says our rates are going up by “about 7%” and goes on to tell us “rates have been fudged in this region for decades”!! I tried to raise this issue with her paper over two years ago, but they did not want to know! I often wonder why? Nancy  tells us “Real costs have been hidden”! Come on Nancy, tell us some-thing we don’t know?

 

But it gets better, Mayor Mick tells us “some big projects were un-foreseen and not even hinted at until we went  into the budget process”!!! Now that is a surprise as there is not one new councillor, they are all experienced and represent all the amalgamated councils. So why did they not know? What happened to the “quiet achievers” and those that worked over the “last four years on major projects” or those who have the “safe hands”? Were these pre-election speeches “euphemisms or misrepresentation”? It’s good to see our Mayor has cast aside

all traces of parochialism with his “Hervey Bay is going to have to fund a lot on the operational side in Maryborough”. He goes on “we are obliged to keep service levels up in Tiaro and Woocoo”!!! Surprise, surprise, I thought we were all one council Mick? Or is it still THEM & US?

 

For the  third time people, I say tighten your belts, we are in for a rough ride.

Weekend Edition

I sometimes think we (the electorate), are like
drunken sailors, we lurch from side to side. Often we
take two or three staggering steps one way and
stumble. On picking ourselves up, we usually take a
step in the opposite direction. It’s all a bit like our
politics.
 
What brought this on, you may ask? Well in today’s
paper I read “the Borg” is back! I know little about
“the Borg” and no feelings one way or the other.
It’s futility of it that worries me. Two party politics
(neither the Liberals or Nationals, can govern on
their own), polarises the people. When it’s
entrenched and it is, neither side can see any good
in opposition. This in time is self destructive for any
society and we are suffering right now.
 
We have had other parties in recent times; One
Nation blew strongly through parliament. But like a
fart, it rapidly passed and left only a bad smell.
The Democrats, appeared like a “light on the hill”,
flickered and in a few days time will be snuffed out.
The Greens, still are green and until they mature
and address the needs of middle Australia will go
nowhere. Without a change in direction they will
wither and die.
 
In my humble view unless we get some FRESH
faces in politics, be they Independents or part of a
NEW party. Nothing will change and we will continue
to lurch from left to right and right to left. Not much
of a future for our children is it?
 
John A Neve

Open and Honest?

Ok.. we’ve been a bit slack but here’s what got us hot under the collar this week:

REST has been replaced by an unknown contractor - Who are they?  How did the get the job?  Why wasn’t it advertised?  How can council just appoint a new contractor when tenders have not been called?   And finally, why wasn’t REST given the opportunity to apply for an interim contract to fill the gap until the proper tendering process was undertaken later in the year?  Anyone with answers please send in to the usual address!

Second thing that really got us this week was the announcement council has or is about to pay for a new logo.  Hang on a minute!  Just before amalgamations took place every single vehicle in the fleet not to mention stationery and other paraphernalia was emblazoned with a new logo - not brilliant but most of us had accepted it as the new council image.  Now they tell us some bright spark has come up with a new one so here’s a few more questions and we’ll aim them at Cr Nioa:  Why do we need a new logo?  Why is it so urgent?  How much did it cost to sticker all the vehicles with the now obsolete logo?  And finally, what will be the final bill to ratepayers for the design, printing, implementation of the new logo?

Not happy Anne!

Stripped of our freedoms

     Nancy Says.
 
“Business of individuals, not governments”,Nancy Says
and she is very right. It appears Nancy and I have some
thing in common! We both drink fermented brews. But
Nancy’s article is not about alcohol, it’s about personal
freedom. Over the last twenty or thirty years we have
been stripped of our freedom of choice and freedom of
association. This has been done by successive governments
under the guise of Safety, Health, Terrorism or Political
correctness!!!
I find it amazing that since the day our ancestors crawled
out of the slim, stood up and took the first step on dry
land. Our personal Safety, Health and Thoughts were ours
and ours alone. Now educated, living in the SMART state
and shooting for the stars, we have to be told what is
good or bad for us!!!!! We are told what to say, what to
think and worse, not to argue.
Nancy and I might, just might, have two things in common.
Our loss of personal FREEDOM.
 
John A Neve

The Water Park that won’t go away

We’re not sorry to admit it but we’ve been harsh critics of the Water Park Concept here at Bringbackstrewth and we’re happy to say that’s not about to change.  We’ll apologise to John Neve in advance but today we’re going to steal his thunder with our own version of Nancy Says.

Nancy Says: Water Park is important to our economy.

Opposition to the water park is puzzling Nancy says, really? 

For a minimal cost she says.. is $12 Million for a series of flashy swimming pools really minimal?  And please, can someone give us genuine figures that show this wonderful playground for the water lovers among us will draw in tourists?  There is kilometres of safe beaches right behind the proposed site for the park so why would most bother to pay for a dip?

She goes on to tell us that sketches are currently being drawn up - hang on - we’ve approved this monstrosety but we don’t even know what its going to look like?  How can we put a price on a project if the preliminary sketches haven’t even been finalised let alone engineered drawings?

Now here’s the next interesting comment - $5 million is coming from government - that we know, but here’s where it gets strangely concerning.  Somehow the land that council already owns (or do they?) is worth $5 million and the remaining two mil will come 50-50 from council and Wide Bay Water.  Did we read this correctly?  We were of the impression  Wide Bay Water was building the park at no cost to council?  And, if council / WBW are only tipping in $2 million of actual funds, surely the state government will not see that as equal contribution?

So here’s what we think, the Fraser Coast Regional Council and its subsidiary Wide Bay Water need to come clean on the project.  We want to know the results of the Business Case analysis (AKA Feasibility Study - we are assuming one has been done?).  We want to see a complete costing for the project with exact figures and where it is all coming from.  The ratepayers and residents of the Fraser Coast deserve the truth on this project.

At the end of the day, if it all stacks up financially ie. there is a sound business case and design behind the park, most of us would be happy to accept it.  Ms Bate’s own editorial on Monday was bang on the mark when it said councils need to be careful when creating new feel good projects and that they need to be sustainable.  Nancy, we could not have agreed more!