What a disgrace. How do you feel about paying for Stockland’s and other businesses’ Christmas in July present from our generous council? Team Gash has lost touch with reality. The community doesn’t want this to happen. Council knows this from the verbal response by residents at the public presentations of the Draft Delivery Program and Operational Plan. But it seems the justification for making this decision is “the community didn’t send in their submissions”.

This in effect means every ratepayer in the Shoalhaven will have the privilege of supporting the businesses in the Nowra CBD. Team Gash thinks this is a good idea because it is a better option than the first proposal and when divided among the rest of us it would almost go unnoticed. If it is such a good idea why is there a need for Team Gash to sell it to the community? It is reasonable to believe there is a majority who would be opposed to this arrangement if they had any indication it was on the table for discussion. So much for community consultation.

In regard to the residential rate rise I keep hearing from Team Gash that members of the community are happy to accept a residential rate increase if there is a corresponding increase in basic services. This may be the case for some but who is Team Gash talking to because many pensioners and other members of the public are unable to afford yet another rate rise.

What is wrong with the Shoalhaven being one of the lowest rated communities among the Category 5 councils? It means that people can still afford to live here. Why is it necessary for Shoalhaven City Council to compare itself to other similar sized councils? Surely Shoalhaven City Council has the knowledge, skills and resources to develop strategies and alternatives that will address the proposal of Fit for the Future without punishing the members of the community that can least afford to pay for it.

There are 55,000 ratepayers in the Shoalhaven and approximately 12,000 pensioners on fixed incomes who like everyone else are also exposed to all the other increased living expenses. Where are pensioners going to find increases of 7.5 per cent  over two years above any IPART rate peg amount (2017-18 and 2018-19) in residential rate increases and why is it necessary for them to make any sort of contribution that benefits the Nowra CBD? 

Council has fulfilled its legal responsibility and exhibited the Draft Delivery Program and Operational Plan including the Draft Fees and Charges in the Nowra and Ulladulla offices, the libraries and the Bookmobile according to the Local Government Act. Council has put notices in the local papers, made announcements on local community radio stations, put the plan on council’s website, informed Community Consultative Bodies and Business Chambers. Council has done a good job considering the limited resources that are allocated to the dissemination of information. 

There were only nine submissions received in opposition to the residential rate rise proposal. This isn’t because as Team Gash would have us believe that the community is happy to accept a rate rise but rather it is because the majority of the community has no idea this rate increase has been proposed. How often does the majority of the community visit the library, council offices, listen to community radio, attend CCB and business chamber meetings or have time or the inclination to read council notices in the local paper. 

Members of the community are out there running their businesses, raising their families or enjoying their retirement. The above rating decisions approved by Team Gash make it harder for everyone to survive. Does this sound fair to you?

Cr M. Kitchener,

Ulladulla.