Northern residents reject SRV : POLL

MORE than 100 people have unanimously rejected Eurobodalla Shire Council’s plans for a possible rate rise at a public meeting on Saturday.

Long Beach Community Association president David Lambert, one of the meeting’s facilitators, plans to present the result to a council meeting.

Mr Lambert said residents had a range of concerns about council’s consideration of applying to the state government for a special rate variation.

“People are very distrustful about what is being proposed,” Mr Lambert said.

“It looks fairly ordinary when considering the revenue that would be generated from the rate rise.

“Council is not being very forthcoming on how much the things it says it wants to put in place are going to cost, and just who is responsible paid council staff or elected councillors for identifying what is essential and what’s not.” 

Mr Lambert said a number of speakers at the Long Beach meeting questioned the need for a rate rise when council was holding $74 million in reserve.

“We keep hearing about the ‘gap’ that apparently exists between the infrastructure and services that council wants to provide on the one hand and the amount of money it currently receives from rates on the other, and that this gap is getting wider; my question is why is there a gap if council is holding so much money in reserve,” he said.

At Monday night’s information meeting on the rate rise, general manager Catherine Dale said council did hold about $70 million in reserve, which were restricted funds.

She said the council needed to have funds in reserve in case of an emergency.

Mr Lambert said another issue raised at the Long Beach meeting was the disparity in property values in the Eurobodalla, compared with Bega and Shoalhaven.

Councillor Milton Leslight, who attended Saturday’s meeting, said residents in the Eurobodalla shire, many of whom were retirees, were already battling to pay their existing rates as well as increased power and water charges.

“There is a lot of hardship; there is high unemployment, significant homelessness and businesses are closing their doors because of a lack of trade,” Cr Leslight said. 

Cr Leslight said he wanted to see a lot more “homework” done to justify council’s consideration of the rate rise.

“We [council] need to get on top of our own business first,” he said.    

Cr Liz Innes, who also attended the meeting, was not available for comment.

Mr Lambert said 109 people attended the meeting which was pleasing considering that it coincided with several weekend events.