A response to the mayor’s column: Burnside
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I write in response to the Mayor's column last week headed "democracy in action " in which he took a veiled swipe at we ERA Councillors regarding the recent debate about Broulee bio-diversity certification
It's impossible to go through the whole process in the space provided here, but suffice to say that the certification, if it has been approved (I write this before the meeting which was held yesterday) will be the most insidious piece of green tape ever to entangle this shire.
It had its genesis in the Department of Environment about a decade ago, and has been simmering away since then, while the Broulee land owners have been hung out to dry by the Office of Environment and Heritage and our Council.
Now, these people are so worn down by the process that they would be thankful for anything to enable them to move on and save them from penuary.
Councillors were told, by those pushing for it, that while it was 'blackmail' it was the only way forward and that we would be seen as 'anti-development' if we didn't support it.
ERA Councillors do not accept this and we set about using the ensuing fortnight to work as hard as possible to bring about an acceptable solution.
Our local member and Treasurer, Andrew Constance has been very helpful describing the process as presented then as 'unworkable' and 'untenable', and forshadowing a win/win with the assistance of the relevant ministers if we pursue a different course.
We have received very positive responses to our calls and have been successful in arranging a meeting with the Environment Minister on Thursday of next week. We have been assured by sufficient cross bench members of the upper house that they would support repeal, or considerable watering down, of this draconian act. We have encountered only goodwill in our endeavours.
I agree with Mayor Brown that councillors have all entered local government with the desire to make things better. Our point of difference is that we see that as meaning critically analysing motions put to us and rejecting those that will leave this shire reeling with the cost as well as the blanket it will place on sensible development here forever.
The alternate would have been to go along and act as a rubber stamp for the bureaucracy.
It will have been a pyrrhic victory if it got up in council yesterday.
Neil Burnside
Deputy Mayor
Smoke and fire
Might start by saying where there is smoke there is fire with the comments by the mayor and Ian Hitchcock’s letter to the editor and it would seem that this council is now being run or dictated by some very radical greens that have no intention of ever letting this shire progress into the next century
Let’s have a close look at Narooma and the great goals that have been kicked with the jewel in the crown being the greatest development failure that has ever happened since 1998 with Woolworths and still to this date. I look across the road at a 50ft high pile of dirt that is slowly ending up in my house.
Take a look at how lucky we were when the previous mayor with open arms said let’s have a Marine Park and for all it’s worth has cost us the tax payers millions and held back progress in this town and they the Marine Park Authority can’t even agree to upgrade the local boat ramp that has been funded by the state government some 18 months ago now but go to Moruya or the Bay and no such problem happened
Go and have a talk to the local builders and not one kind word can be said about the way they are treated with regulations and think the only thing that has been achieved in the past 20 or so years is the development of the local club and that is about it oh and a bus shelter and you wonder why all the kids are packing up and going so what is going on in Narooma?
And for our local member to come out and say let’s look at amalgamation with Bega last week there is more than smoke now and while we hope somebody from council is allowed to reply how about looking at the non-footpath opposite the Blue House Surgery where my 79-year-old mumtried to walk and had a great fall last week.
Dave Clark
Narooma
Workers Compensation Scheme explained
In response to the letter from Mark Ikonen from Dalmeny entitled ‘NSW WorkCover will continue to run at a deficit’ on July 2 in the Narooma News.
There are several points in Mr Ikonen’s letter that we would like to clarify.
Although announced at the same time, the premium reductions to the Workers Compensation Scheme do not form part of the NSW budget.
WorkCover holds employers money in trust for the Workers Compensation Scheme.
The Workers Compensation Scheme is in surplus, not deficit. In fact, as of December 2013, the Scheme was more than $1 billion dollars in surplus.
If there has been a fatality, the employer involved will carry the claims impact within their premium for three years.
NSW Minister for Finance and Services, Dominic Perrottet, recently announced several enhancements to the 2012 Workers Compensation Scheme reforms to better support injured workers returning to work.
The Minister announced changes to the Scheme would be made by regulation immediately and then completed with legislation in the future. Five changes would be made by regulation and assist thousands of workers who had claims before October 1, 2012. These include:
* ensuring continued access to hearing aids, prostheses and home and vehicle modifications and related treatment until retirement age;
* extending medical benefits for workers with ‘whole person impairment’ assessed between 21 per cent to 30 per cent, until retirement age;
* workers injured in the 12 months before retirement age will have the same entitlements as those who were injured at or after retirement age;
* ensuring workers continue to be eligible for weekly benefits until a disputed work capacity assessment has been resolved; and
* clarifying the entitlement to a ‘second surgery’ period for workers where the initial surgery requires a second surgery falling outside 12 month medical cap.
They are in addition to recent premium reductions of 17.5 per cent in the past year, protecting thousands of jobs and returning over $400 million dollars to the State’s economy.
The NSW Government and WorkCover continue to meet their objectives of increasing support for seriously injured workers and better assisting people to return to work.
Gary Jeffery
A/General Manager, Workers Compensation Insurance Division
WorkCover Authority of NSW
Pro fishermen vital
In your issue of June 25, there is an article about relaxing the restraints on commercial fishing on our coastline. This is presented as a conflict between recreational and commercial fishermen.
No mention is made of another large group, of which I am a member. I do not fish but eat fish twice a week for its health benefits.
I wish to buy fresh locally caught fish, not Nile perch from Africa or Basa from Vietnam.
Australia has a huge coastline and a small population, so it makes no sense to so restrict commercial fishing that most of our fish is imported. We seem to just close our eyes to the possibility of overfishing in Asia.
It would be better if recreational fishermen recognised that commercial fishing is essential and joined with the commercial fishermen in a cooperative effort to secure a sustainable future for both groups.
Joan Lynch
Narooma
Mayor's say… Comparisons between local governments
LAST week the NSW Government released their annual Comparative Information on NSW Local Government report for the 2012-2013 period and I spent some time over the weekend reading it.
It’s always interesting and we appreciate the NSW Government making this information available.
I encourage those of you interested in our Council and how we compare to other councils to visit the NSW Office of Local Government website and have a read.
Councils are grouped into five groups for comparative purposes and Eurobodalla is part of Group 4 that also includes Albury, Armidale, Bega, Dubbo, Goulburn, Queanbeyan and Tamworth.
It’s worth noting than many Group 4 councils we are compared with have a single urban centre and that our situation is quite different in Eurobodalla where we service 3 towns with for example, three waste facilities, three libraries, and three swimming pools.
Firstly let’s look at rates. In most instances Eurobodalla rates are well below our group average.
When we compare our rates against our Group 4 average, the data shows that: Eurobodalla’s average residential rates are $736 while the group average is $878; Eurobodalla’s average business rate is $2746, and the group average is $3168; and Eurobodalla’s average farmland rate is $1199 and the group average is $1834.
On average our rates are 15 per cent lower than the 30 other Group 4 councils.
Eurobodalla rate payers have not had experienced a rate rise other that the annual IPART ratepeg amount that is consistently less than CPI, since 2006.
This means that we have declining funds to allocate towards maintaining and renewing infrastructure and delivering services. Our roads, buildings and other infrastructure assets get older every year and the cost of maintaining and replacing them, gets higher.
This state-wide report shows that while our infrastructure backlog is lower than the group average, we still have a gap. Councillors are monitoring this closely and we are continuing to work together to identify efficiencies and savings, and improve productivity across Council.
The report shows that 15 Code of Conduct complaints were lodged during 2012 to 2013. The group average is two.
I am not aware of what these complaints were about, who made them or if they needed to be investigated. I am not privy to that information. Many complaints lodged don’t proceed to an investigation and only 20 per cent of the 300 complaints that were lodged across NSW were upheld.
The Code of Conduct is an important policy in local government as it ensures that all council officials understand the standards of conduct that are expected of them and how they should act honestly and with a reasonable degree of care.
It also provides the public with confidence in the integrity of local government. What does our high rate of complaints mean? It’s difficult to say. It may mean we have more people exercising their democratic right to question the process, or simply more people who complain.
Please let me know if there are any issues that council can assist with. You can contact me at mayor@eurocoast.nsw.gov.au or phone 0418 279 215.
Clr Lindsay Brown
Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire
Filling kids with fear
When the snow season opened on the Queen's birthday weekend, there was no significant snow.
Out came the global warming/climate change crowd, claiming it was a consequence of climate change.
Not very long after, very heavy snowfalls set up the current excellent season. No comments from the warmenist mob.
Sceptics, such as myself, are constantly derided, being called on to recognise the "undisputed science" of prevailing climate science.
Never mind that the earth has not warmed in over 17 years, never mind the
failure of horrible predictions to eventuate.
In the 60's and 70's we were constantly told by these "authorities" that we were all doomed, that we would all die in a nuclear war. Didn't happen.
The "authorities" are now filling kids with fear that they will die for certain from the consequences of man-made climate change/global warming. It's not happening as predicted either. Climate does change, from natural causes, not by burning fossil fuels.
Over the recent 17 years, the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased significantly, with no increase in temperature.
The "greening" of the earth has measurably increased from this extra
supply of essential plant nutrient.
Frank O'Brien
Narooma
Remembering Lenore
I am a visitor from Melbourne, but last year I was a resident of this lovely town, which shows that I can’t keep away from Narooma.
This was emphasised by the sight of the wonderful sunrise across the inlet on Sunday morning.
My one regret is that my wife, Lenore is not with me.
We had 60 years together, but after a series of strokes she died two weeks ago in Melbourne.
We had such happy days over the 13 years we were here and Lenore made many friends in her activities at the tennis club, opportunity shop, club functions and community events.
I would like her friends to join with me and our daughter to commemorate Lenore’s life in Narooma at the tennis club on Thursday morning, where she enjoyed many wonderful times of fun and competition.
I would like to see you about 11am at the tennis courts.
Terry Moulang
Frankston, Victoria
Ex Parklands, Narooma