THREE proposals crucial to the finances of Bega Valley Shire Council were adopted on Tuesday.
Council’s Management Plan for 2009/12, along with this year’s rates and charges and schedule of fees were adopted at council’s extraordinary meeting held in Merimbula.
The recommendation put to council in a report was to adopt the Management Plan assuming approval from the Minister for Local Government for the proposed 8.76 per cent rate increase.
A further report if approval was not granted was also prepared.
A report to council stated that over 100 submissions from the public were received while the Plan was on exhibition.
Some of those, both for and against aspects of the Plan, were petitions and letters from groups and associations.
The vast majority of submissions related to the special variation to general rate income.
Submissions were received that supported or opposed the rate increase while yet others offered partial or qualified support.
One with 50 signatories opposing the increase was received as were five in support with 155 signatories.
The next highest number of submissions came from agencies running the various nursing homes in the shire concerned at the removal of the water and sewer access charge from those facilities.
The website Bang the Table (BTT) was used to encourage community discussion on the draft documents, with a link from council’s website. The Plan was viewed about 180 times and 10 comments were provided.
Of those, five were made by the same person with the others single comments from individuals.
While more people accessed the site and may have viewed the documents and comments, effectively only five people made use of the website to lodge comments about the Plan.
The report said that three opposed the special variation, one supported it and one gave council a “pat on the back” for using the web-based forum and made a comment about the proposed fees and charges.
Viewers of the site were advised that comments left on the site were not classed as formal submissions and that submissions needed to be sent via letter or email to the general manager.
Before discussion on the vote began, two presentations were made to council by representatives from the Bega Valley’s nursing homes which were alluded to by general manager Peter Tegart when he explained amendments in the Plan.
One of the amendments, Mr Tegart said, was to gradually introduce the nursing home sewerage and water charges issue by phasing it in at 33.3 per cent this year with a further review once the council’s ageing policy (see story page 5) and the relevant pricing guidelines set by State Government were in place.
Another of the amendments was to reflect the announcement of the Federal Government’s second round of infrastructure grants which amounted to $446 000 for local projects.
When the recommendation on the Plan was put, councillor Mike Britten said that while he was sympathetic to the plight of the nursing homes it was a difficult situation for everyone.
“But the bottom line is, in an area which is going to increase, that funding has to come from somewhere and if it isn’t going to come from the institutions themselves, it is going to come from the general ratepayer, who don’t want to wear that, I wouldn’t think,” he said.
“Council has to walk its way through the minefields that exist here and we have tried to acknowledge that an ageing strategy has to be undertaken, but also that we have to collect some money from somewhere.”
Seconding the motion, Cr Pat Campbell said he supported Cr Britten and “the amendments enables council to look at the issue again in light of the ageing strategy to be developed this year”.
The motion was put and passed unanimously, as was the recommendation on the increases for rates and charges.
Cr Graeme Wykes, who put the motion on rates and charges that was seconded by Cr Paul Pincini, said that it was “straight forward”.
“Everything has to be paid for and I think we have come to the best compromise we can.”
Cr Keith Hughes said that although he would not vote against the motion he wished to flag his objection.
“I am philosophically opposed to the increase in the base rate charge which will hit hardest the poorest members of the community,” he said.
“I will be raising this issue again in future years and I want to flag my disappointment that the base rate has increased by so much.”
The recommendation for the increases on the schedule of fees was adopted with no discussion on the motion of Crs Britten and Campbell.
All matters were carried unani-
mously.
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