Does Peter Chapman own a shop that is under threat from the Pineapple Sellers etc.
I wonder if the Chronicle would run a campaign to get rid of the editor.
Screamer.
BBS: As much as we all bagged Nancy Bates we can at least say she knew the local area and it’s history.
Word on the street today is the editor of the local chip wrapper has his sights set on making our hapless bunch of councilors very uncomfortable in the next 12 months.
The words self-preservation was mentioned more than once.. interesting to note how the esteemed editor is pushing hard for divisions..
He might be onto something – with a divisional system it stands to reason that the ‘popular’ candidates might not be so popular if pitted against a more credible option in their selected division. We can only hope!
According to the draft Community Safety Plan presented to the Fraser Coast Council on Thursday 27/1/2011 almost half (49.8%) of the residents of the Fraser Coast are among the most socioeconomically disadvantaged people in the state of Queensland.
Only 3,300 people in Maryborough are considered to be among the 60% least disadvantaged people in the state. 24,000 are among the 40% most disadvantaged.
These are appalling and distressing facts. Especially as there are no apparent reasons for our region to be so poor, for our people to be so disadvantaged compared to the rest of the state.
We have a wonderful climate, ready access to road, rail and air transport, a ready pool of employable people and ample available land. Why are we so disadvantaged?
Even more appalling is the fact that this report was presented to Council on the same day as they chose to increase their salaries to cover the proper reduction in their allowances. Where is the empathy?
What is to be done? Professional regional economic development presents the only real opportunity to improve the situation. And the organization best placed to implement regional economic development is the regional Council.
But what are they doing? The Council’s economic development efforts are directed only to major projects and tourism. And the last few months have proved how fickle the tourism market can be. Why are we pouring millions of dollars into it at the expense of all other forms of business development?
Economic wellbeing is based upon a solid foundation of small to medium size businesses producing goods and services for local and external markets. Building this base can only be accomplished by following the well proven steps that have been successful in the past.
Where are our small business incubators? Where is our business retention scheme? What has Council done to improve the regulatory environment for small business investment on the Fraser Coast?
Are our present Councillors seriously interested in improving the desperate degree of socioeconomic disadvantage on the Fraser Coast or are they more focused on the preparation of their fancy reports and strategies to create the impression they are doing something?
‘Words, its only words’, may very well be the theme song of this Council but the people of our region need more, much more.
Jim MacKellar
Just who is fooling who? Based on the article by Peter Chapman (FCC 2/2/’11),
the proposed “private hospital” will be funded by $56 million of our money
and $49 million by the private consortium!
Then the “private hospital” will charge for their services! Oh, how I love free
enterprize.
The article goes on to tell us that the services currently provided at
Maryborough will be reviewed over time. I’d suggest phased out is more
likely.
Question; Is the suggested $56 million a loan or a gift? If the hospital
fails to make money and the building is sold off, will the government get
our $56 million refunded?
John A Neve
Dear Bring Back Strewth,
When things get tough we should be supporting local business and Fraser Coast Tourism has really done it this time.
Maybe it is time for the whole structure to be looked at and changes made, as for a long time now it has been a protected species.
While we are looking and recalling past events I ask you all to remember the work that the Chair Person has approved in her role with the MCC and FCRC that was also dished out to companies outside the local area.
Damien Massingham and Anne Nioa shame on you both for letting down local businesses. This contract must be stopped and a new tender process that is above board must be undertaken as soon as possible.
I do no one thing that due to budget cuts my membership this year will not be paid as I can not see the point in being apart of a group that is not operating in the best interest of my local community.
Do the board members of Fraser Coast Tourism have the guts to stand up to the present dictatorship? Or are your names going to be tainted like the names Massingham and Nioa.
Fraser Coast it is time for a change before any more damage is done!
Regards
The Seagull
Subject: Fraser Coast Embarrassment
Dear Fellow Members,
I wish to bring to your attention an article published in Saturday’s paper regarding the Fraser Coast Holiday Planner being awarded to a company outside of our region.
http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/story/2011/01/29/fraser-coast-local-firms-lose-tourism-tender/#commentsList
This is one of the most significant publications promoting the Fraser Coast and every dollar spent on this publication is leaving OUR region to line the pockets of people residing in one of our competitor tourism regions of the Gold Coast.
Not only is our money being sent out of town, but our Fraser Coast publication is being designed by people that have no real connection to our unique part of the world.
It is appalling that McTaggarts, one of our long serving members and huge supporters through sponsorships were not even approached? How many more of our design and printing members were left in the dark? What does this say about Fraser Coast Tourism? Our memberships are not worth the paper they are printed on. There is no loyalty! I suspect that there is a more personal relationship between our ‘so called’ leaders and the winning company. Between one of our graphic design companies and one of our local printers, we could have kept every dollar circulating in our community for the benefit of all during these tough times.
There was an article published last week asking our community to support our tourism industry. How can we expect locals to support our tourism industry when we cannot even support our own? Our leaders are very naive and irresponsible to think otherwise.
It’s time to send a message and say NO to the ‘Fraser Coast’…. I mean ‘Foreign Holiday Planner’. We cannot support a publication that doesn’t support our region.
Let them hear our voice and lets all take some leadership and look after each other. Send your message to Damien Massingham dmassingham@frasercoastholidays.info and Anne Nioa anne.nioa@frasercoast.qld.gov.au
Here is the email address of Peter Chapman, Editor of the Fraser Coast Chronicle who broke this story peter.chapman@frasercoastchronicle.com.au
I don’t have everyone’s email addresses so please forward on to all that has an interest in supporting locals.
Steven McCallum
Thank you for the opportunity to pass my comment for the first time so if I am a bit rough please for give me.
I would like to ask if any of your readers or followers have noticed that during the past week or so that in times of need when we need community leadership that we have had bugger all.
We have had the deputy mayor doing her bosses job.
We has seem other mayors and councillors jumping in and helping but on the Fraser Coast what have we seen? Readers the silence and the action is quite scary really!
This little event has shown at local, state and federal level that we need leadership as we have really seen nothing from the lot of them. Has anybody seen Ted?
When people were going mad in the supermarkets and petrol stations was there any leaders there telling us what was happening and that things will be all right?
The Fraser Coast is suffering due to the lack of local leadership! A strong leader would of been out and about telling the people what is going on!
So if any body runs into our local elected leaders please ask them what they were doing while our community was falling apart and if you see Julie Arther tell he she did a good good while the others were MIA!
Best Wishes
Hi readers. 2010 was a challenging one on many fronts for the author of this site and as we rapidly approach the next council elections I’ve decided to change tact with the content here.
In the past we’ve all had a good gripe about how poorly the council and more importantly our elected representatives have done but now it is time for a positive change.
What we’d like to see in the next 15 months as we head towards ejection day for the current bunch is your thoughts and ideas on what can, could and should be done to improve our region.
If anyone has ambitions or intentions of running for office this could be a great opportunity to share your ideas for a better improved Fraser Coast.
It would certainly be pleasing to find some fresh faces who could be enticed to run – and if there is anyone out there with the capability to assist in funding a rival ‘team’ to the current bunch – we’d love to hear from you!
The question of whether we should have electoral divisions within our Regional Council area is one that has been long debated. At first examination the view that each Councillor should represent a division has much to recommend it. Each Councillor has a specific area for which they are responsible and about which they should be knowledgeable.
It is argued that residents can be aware of who their Councillor is and so who they should contact about Council matters. In the present, undivided, Council a resident is at liberty to contact whichever Councillor they feel is best able to assist them with their query or problem. This is, in fact, also the case in a Council with divisions. People are not restricted as to whom they may contact. So the situation does not really change one way or the other.
However, the real difference between the two systems becomes more apparent when we consider elections. Given that the state government insists that we are only allowed to have single member electorates there are two principle disadvantages in a divisional system.
The first, and most obvious, is the limitations on the geographical spread of the Councillors. The electors of the Fraser Coast showed at the last election that they are quite ready to elect Councillors from all over the region, regardless of where they actually live. So we have a fairly even spread of representation.
If divisions are introduced for the next election this would be arbitrarily changed. With each division having, as close as practicable, equal numbers of voters, we would see 6 Councillors from metro Hervey Bay, 2 from Maryborough, and one each from the northern beaches area and the entire rural hinterland. History has proved that, despite the best intentions of Councillors to consider the entire are, in democracy the money goes where the votes are. Regrettable but true.
The not so obvious disadvantage of single member divisions is in the resulting degree of diversity in skills and interests of the Councillors. This is the result of each voter being only able to make one choice of candidate. So they must weigh up all the issues and chose the person who has the best mix of strengths on the issues that most concern them. It also leaves Council vulnerable to being ‘stacked’ by vested interests. For example, the way the Gold Coast and Cairns Council’s have been controlled by the development industry in the past.
On the other hand, in either an undivided Council, as we have now, or one in with multi-member divisions, the electors are able to choose a number of candidates who cover a much broader spectrum of interests and talents. So an elector may give one vote to an environmentalist, two to people with business experience, a couple to people with community or arts interests, etc. etc..
In this way we are much more like likely to have an elected Council which is able to have a balance of skills and backgrounds and is thus able to bring a much broader perspective to their considerations of the business of progressing our region in a sustainable manner.
Though the present system may have its problems, I believe there are much better solutions available than changing to single Councillor divisions. One I would suggest is the New Zealand system of Community Boards. It warrants much more scrutiny and consideration than it has been afforded to date.
Jim MacKellar
Fraser Coast
It was absolutely no surprise to read today that Andrew Brien has quit as FCRC CEO. With Mr Brien gone we simply can not wait to see who our merry bunch of drifters.. oops.. councillors see fit to put in his place.
What remains to be seen is if the incumbent CEO has the intestinal fortitude to recommend council insitigates wholesale changes to ensure the constant departure of staff is stemmed or at least that a robust replacement program to attract the right personnel to turn this desperate situation around.
Do our councillors have the ability to make the most of this disappointing situation? We doubt it but we’ll cross all our fingers and toes anyway.
Perusal of the FCRC’s Community Financial Statement for the 2009-10 reveal quite a bit for local ratepayers to be concerned about.
One of the most disturbing facts revealed is the 20% of arrears in payment of Council rates and charges. This represents an amount of $12.6million outstanding.
The causes behind this level of rate arrears must be of serious concern to our Councillors. Is it because people simply will not pay their rates i.e. a rate rebellion?
Or is it because the level of rates in this region are causing financial stress to a substantial proportion of our residents, i.e. they are not paying because they simply cannot afford to.
As we live in an area recognized as economically distressed and welfare dependent it would be a fair assumption that the later applies in many of these cases.
Has Council compiled information as to the circumstances of these people for consideration by our Councillors when they next vote on an increase in the rates and charges?
Given that Council has over $80million in cash reserves (money in investment accounts) and showed a surplus (profit) of $12million for the last financial year, one would have to seriously question the necessity of this years increases in rates and charges.
How much money does the Council need to accumulate and how much hardship are the Councillors prepared to inflict on our needy in accumulating more and more reserves?
Where is the compassion, where is the empathy?
Bring back Strewth! 