Ted Who?

We had to chuckle today as we read the daily chip wrapper and then tried to digest the evening news.. and both times we had to ask ourselves Ted Who?   Come on mate, you’ve dropped off the radar now you want to pop back up and announce you are running for an as yet un-named party supposedly of the conservative type.  Sorry to say this ted bear but we’re going to get plenty of mileage out of this one!

John Neve echoes our sentiments with the following:

Mr Ted Sorensen’s announcement in our local
(23/7/08), is astounding. Ted is going to put his
hand up for the “new” conservative party! This
“new” party hasn’t even been formed yet.
What are their policies? What are their aims?
How can you nominate for a party that doesn’t
exist? How can you support policies that are
unknown? Easy, you just do what our current
member does, which is toe the party line.
Is Hervey Bay going to replace one MP who
does what he is told, with a new MP who does
what he is told? Give us a break Ted.
 
John A Neve

We’re still here.. just!

Once you’ve followed this site for a while you will notice that we go through quiet phases.  This is purely and simply because we have full time employment as well as being involved in several major projects.  As a result some weeks we rely on contributors such as John Neve to fill the void.

In the begining we started out with several other contributors who regularly had a say.  For one reason or another they have dropped away in time.  Perhaps everyone is content with the way local politics has slowed to a crawl or relieved that their rates only rose by seven percent.  We can all be thankful they didn’t jump as much as some apartments in Brisbane’s CBD did!

All the same, it is our intention to keep rolling along and at least try to stimulate a little public debate on topical issues.  It is up to everyone to share their thoughts and not just leave it to the few regulars.. don’t be shy.. and as always.. we still welcome constructive criticism.

–o–

The inbox has been noticeably quiet of late but here’s what Coastwatcher had to say:

Johnangel, who in another guise basks in the aura of being called a council watcher by the local rag, has taken me to task for my contribution over who has contributed financially to Our Mick’s election campaign.
Perhaps he should live up to the title bestowed on him by Nancy and go watch council if he is not satisfied with the information I have provided.
While he’s there perusing the candiates’ declarations he may also like to check on the fleet of new cars in the carpark - one for each councillor with Our Mick leading the pack in a $100,000 limo.
Our Mick blames the costs of amalgamation for why our rates have gone up so substantially. Let’s not forget the costs of leasing 11 new cars.
Coastwatcher

Who is pulling the strings?

There was plenty of conjecture at the time of the recent council election as to where “Our Mick” was getting the money to run his high-profile campaign. Now we know.
The contribution declarations required to be lodged by all candidates are said to show that “Our Mick” received more than $28,000 in monetary support, nearly all of it from developers.
This raises an interesting conundrum because if “Our Mick” owes so much to the support of developers then should he not be declaring a conflict of interest when voting on development matters and abstain from the vote?
Who else has been compromised by developer contributions? Do we have a similar situation to what happened on the Gold Coast recently where a developer-supported team took over the council?
The contribution declarations have been lodged with the Fraser Coast Regional Council and should be available for public scrutiny.
Perhaps Bringbackstrewth would like to go and have a look and then let the rest of us know who’s in whose pocket.
 
Coastwatcher

Do they have the nerve?

We’ve been thinking about all the stories going around - council debts slowly rising to the surface, infighting among staff and worse still councillors who openly mouth off to all in ear shot about their fellow councilors.

Makes us really wonder how much egg is on the faces of Ms Bates and others who lauded the “safe hands” around the last election.   Come on, lets be serious - the only council without underlying money woes was Woocoo and that was only because they simply had to throw a grader over the odd road occasionally.

David Dalgleish was quoted last week as being overwhelmed by Maryborough’s infrastructure problems - hang on Dave, what about all the white elephants Hervey Bay Council presided over? Then we look out to Tiaro and from what we can tell, they had a plan in place to catch up on their neglected infrastructure but amalgamation ensured that all went out the window.

The state government has just indicated they are prepared to admit they stuffed up calculating the cost of amalgamation.  The purse strings haven’t been closed on assistance yet our fearless CEO comes out yesterday saying he won’t hold his breath and they won’t cover this or that.  What a load of nonsense Andrew.  Swallow your pride son and hold your cap right under the minister’s nose and don’t take it away until you have your share and half that of the next guy.

The money is on the table - if we don’t grab every cent we can, other councils will.  What happened to the rivalry between the Bay and Bundy?  Its gone - look at their council doing every damned bit they can to make the most of what the government is offering!  We will miss out if bury our heads in the sand.

From the Mayor and CEO down, it is time the elected representatives and senior management of the Fraser Coast Regional council all got off their proverbial backsides and started making things happen.  Projects are stalling left right and centre because council has thrown up their hands and guys like Cr Dalgleish are running about telling anyone who will listen how hard the situation is - if it is too hard get out and let us vote in someone who is prepared to make things happen!

We’re none too pleased and once we’ve digested the first budget no doubt the anger will rise even more.  We’ve put up with poor governance for too long.  We must expect better and we must demand our elected representatives stop warming seats and make things happen again.. this region has massive potential but it that potential can’t eventuate on its own.

A solution perhaps?

Here we go again, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and their solutions.

According to the article in the local paper (FCC 9.7/08), there is a solution,

and they are right. There has been a solution for the last 20 years.

It is known as the d’Oliveira Natural Gas Refinery (dNGR), it can

replace all current sewerage plants, allowing every city and town

to turn 98% of it’s waste water back to potable water. Thereby

drought proofing our urban areas, without having to build a single

new dam, now or in the future. The other benefit is renewable

energy, Hydrogen that does not contribute to Green House Gases

(GHG). The dNGR has zero waste, so no more destruction of the

Barrier Reef or pullution of our food crops with the toxic waste.

 

The solution is now in the hands of the people. As the government

and politicians, are just a bunch of the seeing blind and hearing

deaf. Who think with their hand firmly on your wallet and its contents.

Their ideas feature higher fees and taxes, while the largest pollutors

are being subsidised with these very fees and taxes. To solve this

problem today, to do something about this now, to assist  your

children and grandchildrens future, think dNGR. 

 

Cy d’Oliveira

Hervey Bay

Telephone: 4125 5527

Open & Transparent Council. What’s that?

As we crack 50,000 hits this week we’ll just say that we’re glad everyone has stuck with us.  Keep the contributions and comments up and lets keep the pressure on our leaders to do the right thing by us their constituents!

–0–

 

Have any of you noticed the change that has taken

place since amalgamation?

 

Well firstly hard copies of council’s agendas are not

available to the public! There are three (3) copies in

folders which can be shared by those in attendance.

This is in the interest of cost cutting.

 

Council agendas don’t appear on line until late on

Tuesday afternoons (some times you have to phone

up and ask). Even then you cannot access the

officers reports. There is a note on screen “Please

contact Agenda Unit on (07) 4197 4437 if you

require access to an attachment.” If you don’t

contact the office by 1700hrs, you won’t get them.

 

So what do we have? Limited access to public

information. Little if any time to format questions,

little if any time to read officers reports, in fact

exclusion from the process.

 

Open & Transparent Council. What’s that?

 

John Neve

A state of affairs

Who’s at fault? The federal government blames the
states. The state governments, blame Canberra, the
public blames both. So where does the blame lie? I
suggest the answer lies in the mirror.
“No worries, she’ll be right, don’t you worry about
that”. The words of apathy, it’s not bitting me on the
bum, so why should I care?
Well maybe the time has come, maybe we all should
care. The worlds population is growing, third world
countries are catching up and they wont their share.
 
People from all parts of the globe built this country
with their bare hands. No roads, no electricity, no
dole, no child allowance, just you and your
neighbour. We pride ourselves on our FREEDOM
and DEMOCRACY, that was once upon a time.
 
Do you really think we have or practice either?
 
It’s about time we told  our democratically elected
representatives, what we want, what we need, why
we elected them. What is required is action, not
whingeing.
 
John A Neve

Mail Box

In case some people are unaware, I am opposed to
party politics. I am just as annoyed at our state
government gagging comment on the supplementary
Environmental Impact Statement, on the Traveston
dam. As I am about the lies being told about the
proposed Liberal/National amalgamation.
 
A “new” party that starts life based on falsehoods is
doomed to failure. Contrary to the comments of Mr
McArdle “this is ringing endorsement” and Mr Truss
“Both memberships have voted overwhelmingly in
favour of the merger”. Based on their own figures
more than 50% of their membership either
abstained or opposed the idea of a merger.
 
I find such “euphemisms or misrepresentation” from
our political leaders despicable. Still if you tell a lie
often enough, in today’s political world it becomes
the TRUTH!!!
 
The real question here is Where did we go wrong?
We elect them, we pay them and some of us
pound the streets for them. You’d think the people
deserved the TRUTH.
 
John A Neve

At last the penny’s dropped!

 Comments attributed to the ex Chamber of
Commerce president Steve Dixon. Indicate at last
the penny’s dropped! At least one Liberal
acknowledges neither they, or the Nationals can
govern in their own right, be that state or federal.
 
It seem Mr Dixon and his mates are now “keen to
merge with the Nats”!! After eighteen or so years
in the wilderness a change is on the cards! We are
going to have a NEW party? NO! We are going to
have some NEW policies? NO! We are going to
have a NEW direction for the people? NO! What
we are going to get is an amalgamation! But much
better than the recent council amalgamations, we
hope.
 
Why won’t some entrenched and budding politicians
acknowledge what the people need. Is fresh faces,
fresh ideas, people who listen, then act. Most
importantly a return to true democratic principles
and adherence to the Australian Constitution.

John Neve

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.