Last week’s public meeting on the recent rate rise in the Southern Downs region was far from the mooted outcry – instead, more than 30 local business representatives calmly participated in the meeting, with one Warwick businessman congratulating the council on doing a good job.
Southern Downs Regional Mayor Ron Bellingham told the meeting of the ever increasing responsibilities put onto the council by the State Government yet ratepayers were forced to foot the bill for implementing these regulations.
“The local government is a little child of the State Government. I’m sick of being a whipping boy for the State Government regulations,” Cr Bellingham said.
He said he knew when amalgamation of the Warwick and Stanthorpe shires was announced, the equalisation of rates across the whole region “would probably be the biggest challenge that would face this council this term”.
“We are all victims of the Labor Government engineering and the council has done a good job trying to mix oil and water (Warwick and Stanthorpe),” a Warwick businessman said.
“There’s going to be a big voter backlash at the March election next year and unfortunately a lot of our current councillors will no longer be on the council and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts,” he said.
After the meeting the Mayor said, “I have always been of the belief that, when you stand for an election, you don’t need to stand as if it’s a popularity contest. The biggest trouble with politics in this country is that people have too much focus on when the next election is. What’s important is whether you are prepared to do the job, whether it’s popular or unpopular.”
Other comments at the meeting included the need for the council to look at its efficiencies and staff levels rather than just increasing the rates or looking at what services to cut.
Warwick Chamber of Commerce and Industry president David Littleproud thought it was a positive meeting but was particularly happy with the fact that the council acknowledged it needed to seek greater efficiencies across the council.
“The introduction of key performance indicators and a review of council efficiency as a whole is something this Chamber has asked for from the beginning, to reduce waste,” Mr Littleproud said.
“The only thing we would contest, however, is that these efficiencies should have been sought some time ago, which could have reduced the impact on businesses,” he said.
Mr Littleproud said a 40 to 60 per cent increase in local businesses’ rates is a huge impost in tight conditions.
The Southern Free Times is interested in your thoughts on this issue; send your letters to editor@freetimes.com.au
Story: Rebecca Brown
