A cash-strapped Bega Valley Shire Council will vote this week on whether to hand back the management of a number of firefighting sheds, surf life saving clubs and the Tathra Wharf to the NSW government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The proposal will be raised during Wednesday's council meeting, with staff suggesting the move is necessary due to "budget constraints".
Fire sheds at Wapengo, Pambula, Bermagui, Burragate, Tarraganda, Candelo, Nethercote, Wyndham, Kiah and Quaama are on council's list alongside the Bermagui State Emergency Service's shed, Tathra Wharf, Tathra Beach Kiosk and Tathra, Bermagui and Pambula surf clubs.
The state government had previously handed the responsibility of maintaining these buildings to council "without consideration of ongoing operation, maintenance and replacement needs", council said. Council staff say the "assets are approaching later years of life and will require replacement".
Mayor Kristy McBain said it was only fair the state government, currently with a budget surplus, help out a council struggling to keep up to par with maintenance.
"We don't control them [the assets on the reserves], but we need to account for their depreciation," Cr McBain said.
"These are things we don't want to be left with."
Prior to the commencement of the Crown Lands Management Act that came into play 12 months ago, council was appointed reserve trust manager of 95 Crown reserves within the shire, imposing their full care, control and management responsibilities on council.
The council said it remained "committed to advocating on behalf of the community, volunteers and agencies operating these NSW government-owned assets", and it believed handing them back to the state was the best way to "ensure the lifecycle demands of operations, maintenance and renewal for the buildings are adequately funded".
Cr McBain said the Tathra Wharf is a good example of an asset that should be in the hands of the state government.
"It's a state government heritage item, but we get no money for maintenance," she said.
Tathra Surf Life Saving Club president Nick Huggins said while he welcomed the proposed move, he hoped channels of communication remain as open as they have been with council.
"When you're dealing with faceless bureaucracy it can be difficult," he said.
"I think it's fair, all we need is a local face to contact."
After word of the potential move made its way to the club over the weekend, members sought an explanation from council.
"I agree with it, we just don't want to get left behind," Mr Huggins said.
Click here to send a Letter to the Editor
To read the agenda for Wednesday's council meeting, click here
