Ratepayers prepare for rates rise

One Response to “Ratepayers prepare for rates rise”

1. 

   B Alford May 6, 2013

   Following “Ratepayers’ money flowing out of town” article 29.04.2013 I felt compelled to comment but the above article today 06.05.2013 plus comments on page 2 by Cr Smith cannot be ignored.
   The number of COS staff has been highlighted, as well as the constant engagement of consultants. Why are consultants used at every turn? Don’t any of the highly qualified, over paid staff, have experience in anything other than qualification gathering and rate payer obstruction? In addition to these staff local employment agencies are used to employ staff, on contract to the Shire, when there is a large Human Resources department. Why? Why is Mr Rob Small’s salary linked to how many staff he is in charge off? How many of these ‘effective’ staff members live within the municipality, shop locally and inject funds back into the local economy? In the days of the ‘old’ Colac City there was comment and commotion when a Deputy Town Clerk was employed who lived just out of bounds at Forrest. How times have changed – to the point where some out of town, overworked management are allowed to work from home to save travelling to the office every day. No wonder it is impossible to speak face to face with anyone when you have a query! Cr. Russell has been quoted as saying the estimated, minimum possible, rate rise of 7.87% is necessary to cover a superannuation bill, reduction in grant monies and to fund the roof over the sale yards. I wish to comment on the sale yards roof construction. The initial estimated cost of work was $1.5M. It has been rumored that the electrical component of the contract could be just shy of $1M. Therefor the huge steel construction would need to come in at around $600,000 to stay within budget – I don’t think so. No mention has been made of other associated costs which the roof construction will necessitate. A cost saving in water usage has been claimed as water will be harvested from the roof to use in washing out of some areas. Another positive claimed will be kindness to the animals with the provision of soft flooring in the form of sawdust in the pens – possible because the roof will prevent inundation from storm events. Council staff, when consulted, did not know that this form of soft flooring had been trialed and failed. Admittedly it was without benefit of a roof but with or without a roof the only drains within the sale yard pens will be blocked/filled with the soft floor material purely by stock movement. One section of pens to the East of the main selling pens will not be roofed. Storm inundation, or rain to the normal person, will drain West to the only drainage pit in the pen area. Unfortunately this water will need to pass through the soft floored area. How hygienic and pleasant, to humans, will urine, faeces, rain soaked sawdust be?
   This raises another area of un-discussed/disclosed cost – the placement and removal of the saw dust. The yards’ construction does not suit this activity, therefor major renovation and purchase/hire of equipment will result. Recent changes in the method of selling livestock will also require expensive relocation of the weighbridge – another undisclosed item of expense. The only parties who seem to want the roof are the Stock Agents and some Councillors. Meat producers (farmers) are not in favor but have not been consulted. Cattle prices are dropping. The number of cattle being offered for sale is dropping. The very few buyers who visit Colac’s sale yards and the Council think an expensive roof will fix this. Farmers do not support the roof construction and will not be pleased the think an increase in their rates will be funding Colac’s version of the desalination plant. The drop in numbers of cattle being processed through the yards can be attributed in part to the above mentioned change in method of selling. The yards are a user pay facility with dues/fees being paid by the producer. Producers were not in favor of the change but Council ran with it as meat buyers threatened not to patronise the facility if the change was not made and the majority of agents supported this. Numbers since the change have declined and there are less buyers participating than previously. The majority of stock being sold at Colac are coming from ‘hobby’ farmers not from major producers. It should also be noted that one ‘supporting’ stock agent arranged the sale of some 2,000+ plus head of cattle direct to an abbatoir last year, bypassing Council’s facility altogether. Without cattle there will be no buyers and no need for sale yards. Perhaps the facility could become a tourist icon “the largest hay shed in the west”.
   In today’s edition on page 11 Alan Oborne said livestock was fetching higher prices in northern Victoria. It is well known that Wodonga selling centre resisted the push to change its selling method and consistently has the highest prices for cattle.
   Thanking you. Barb Alford.

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