New group to speak for ratepayers

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Batemans Bay couple Frank and Margaret Milner established the group after last week’s public meeting on Eurobodalla Shire Council’s 2010-2014 Draft Management Plan, where they noticed a general feeling of anger and resentment towards council.

Mr Milner said having one powerful voice from a group of ratepayers would be more effective than residents criticising council’s decisions individually.

At the end of the public meeting, Mr and Mrs Milner spoke with other residents who were interested in forming the group.

He said their aim was to represent the community’s interests on issues relating to council - and the draft management plan is first on the list.

“While many of the programs outlined in the management plan are admirably desirable, council is not sensitive to community feelings of resentment towards many council attitudes,” he said.

“We’ve been residents of the Eurobodalla for 30 years. In that time we’ve always taken the usual passive approach in not wanting to be involved in things like council affairs.”

But now, he said, it was time to step in.

“There was a large failing of answers in the whole meeting. In a way, council takes a cavalier attitude towards ratepayers,” he said.

From the meeting, Mrs Milner didn’t believe cutting services to the community was an answer to counter-act the opposed rate increase.

She said there were other options for council, like cutting its programs.

“It doesn’t have to be at the community’s expense,” she said.

Mr Milner said they have had group meetings since last week’s public meeting and have formed their aims and objectives as an association, the main one being to take a narrow but fair focus on council “to improve performance and cost control”.

He hopes to pull together other community groups to form one strong voice.

But for now, they are looking for more members.

They hope to get at least several hundred members, and are especially encouraging young people to join.

“We have no chance of achieving such change without massive support from the community,” he said. “There’s no joining fee, no annual fees, all we’re asking is for membership is to give us a voice.”

Those interested in joining the Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association should call 4472 3104.