Local Government

[willedoo]

It seems to be the elephant in the room when it comes to politics. It's only my opinion, but in our three tiered system of government I consider local government the weak link in the chain. There are good local governments (unfortunately mine has never been in that category), but there are are lot of bad ones. They can be either corrupt, wasteful, inefficient, incompetent, arrogant, bullying or a combination of any or all of those things. My state over time has handed local government too much autonomy in my opinion, and I'd like to see more oversight by the state local government department. I don't have statistics on hand, but I've read in the past that other states have retained more control over local government than ours has. There was always a problem with some councils, but the amalgation several years ago led to super councils and made the whole issue a lot worse.

 

Inconsistencies between councils is another issue. As an example, on the news today the Moreton Bay council announced they are dedicating a local park to rough sleepers and homeless people and letting them use the council toilet and shower facilities there. Their idea is to have the homeless in a more manageable situation regarding facilities and support services. On the other hand, the Gold Coast council is issuing heavy fines to rough sleepers, and confiscating and destroying their gear.

[old man emu]

The concept of Local Government, as I see it, is the means by which communities organise for the provision of  facilities and services required by that community. People offer their time to gather and make decisions that it is hoped will solve local problems and/or plan for future improvement which benefit the community. Local Government s we have it is a formalisation of community management that human communities have employed since the time when three or four families decided to pitch their tents together in the same place. 

 

In modern times in Australia, each State has created some sort of law to give the various Local Governments the same framework to follow. How each Local Government unit uses that framework depends either on community involvement, or the integrity of those who get elected to form the Council. I would say that the closer the local council is to its community, the better it works. Local Governments in urban areas reflect the lack of 'community' typical of the anonymous nature of the inhabitants. Rural Local Governments are often more in tune with their communities due to the social interactions of those communities. 

[Marty_d]

3 hours ago, willedoo said:

On the other hand, the Gold Coast council is issuing heavy fines to rough sleepers, and confiscating and destroying their gear.

Takes a grubby type to destroy the only worldly possessions of people with nothing.

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, old man emu said:

I would say that the closer the local council is to its community, the better it works. Local Governments in urban areas reflect the lack of 'community' typical of the anonymous nature of the inhabitants. Rural Local Governments are often more in tune with their communities due to the social interactions of those communities. 

A lot of truth in that. Smaller rural councils generally are a lot more in touch with the community and there's only a few bad eggs among those councils. A lot of the bigger councils have totally lost the concept of being there to serve the community and a lot think they are our masters rather than our servants. I've never been one for party politics in councils like they have in the city councils, but taking into account the inept rabble we have posing as our local council, it makes me wonder whether party alligned councilors would make it easier to turf the lot out at an election. As it stands, some councillors lose their jobs at election time and some major offenders remain, so things don't get any better. If it was party based, would it make them perform any better. Maybe it would if they thought the whole bunch was at risk or at least a majority of them.

 

Another factor is that it's not only the elected councillors that are the problem. The council bureaucrats have a lot to answer for as well. My advice to anyone who has a good, well performing and honest council is to appreciate what you have because a lot of people don't have that. 

[old man emu]

12 hours ago, willedoo said:

The council bureaucrats have a lot to answer for as well.

Very often they are hamstrung by regulations generated by the two higher levels of government. For example, our housing industry at the moment has to comply with a Standards document of 200 pages in order to have ahouse approved for habitation. The council staff can't ignore all those reulations without placing the Council into a legal liability trap.

 

As for Councils being composed of people with Party alignments, that just gets you into the same stalemates as the upper levels of government. In many cases geting onto the local coucil is a first step in a political career in the higher levels of government. Self interest overrides the idea of helping the community.

[facthunter]

Party Politics shouldn't be a Part of local government or religion. Nev

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

My rates went up 30% this year, out here in the bush would you believe. Nearly a thousand dollars a year and we're still driving on dusty dirt roads in my village. And kangaroos are in plague proportions. Cockatoos gnaw the wooden parts of my house. I'm charged for sewage, but I don't have sewage - go figure. My land is zoned Commercial and Residential at the same time - go figure again. 

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, Grumpy Old Nasho said:

My rates went up 30% this year, out here in the bush would you believe. Nearly a thousand dollars a year and we're still driving on dusty dirt roads in my village. And kangaroos are in plague proportions. Cockatoos gnaw the wooden parts of my house. I'm charged for sewage, but I don't have sewage - go figure. My land is zoned Commercial and Residential at the same time - go figure again. 

I can certainly relate to that. I had a 30% increase last year, not quite so much this year. Main reason is our council has got themselves one billion dollars in debt trying to compete with the Gold Coast. The shire rates income goes almost entirely to paying council staff salaries; they have around 1,800 employees all up, 1,000 of them in office jobs. My rates are currently around $2,200 per year. No services with that, no water, sewerage or wheelie bins. I could opt for wheelie bins but for two bins, a rubbish bin and recycle bin, the fees are several hundred dollars per year so it would bring my rates bill closer to $3,000 per year if I had them. The small amount of rubbish I make, it's way cheaper to do the occasional trip to the dump. They slash the road verge twice a year - usually two weeks before the six monthly rates bills are due, so we always know when we see council slashers about, we'll get a rates bill in the next couple of weeks. 

 

I'd be a lot happier with them if they'd just treat the local residents with a bit of respect. On the subject of council land zonings, you would think in a normal world the local council would have the decency to notify residents of an intention to rezone their land, but this council doesn't. I've had my block rezoned twice and never heard anything from council about it. It started off as Rural A, then was rezoned to Rural Residential and now to one called Limited Development - Sustainable Landscape which is a heavily restricted green zone. I'm quite happy with that zoning as I love the environment on my place, and think the more protection, the better, but it's the principle of rezoning without notifying a landowner that I think is wrong. In my mind it's just common manners to do so.

 

With septic tanks being banned, some people opt for a pump-out tank. In days gone by, people could hire a licensed contractor to do the pump out and the charge was quite reasonable and only needed the cost incurred on a by use basis, ie: you were only out of pocket if the tank was near full and needed emptying. Council saw that as another cash cow and banned the use of contractors, allowing only council to do the service. Problem is it's not on an as needed basis. They put a levy on top of the rates bill so you have to pay several hundred dollars per year for the service whether you need it or not. The Mafia has nothing on this mob.