Feel the Power

This green box is what is needed to put the power cables underground.
The shopping area of Main St in Sheffield will have the overhead
powerlines placed underground by about March 2009. I think it will be
the biggest visual change to the Main St since the murals came in.

The chances of birds "bombing" you will be significantly reduced!

Sewerage

Yes poo.

Since joining council I have learnt a lot. I can tell you the direct route sewerage takes from our place all the way to the treatment plant. Impressive eh? Maybe not. Learning about the sewer has been important. Why? Because the Sheffield sewerage system has many problems and to fix it you need to understand a bit of how it works.

Problems include:

A poorly built plant (in arbitration over this one).
Cracked pipes in town allowing groundwater to enter the sewer system (overwhelming the plant)
Secondary effluent flowing into a private landowners dam.

We need to fix this problem. We have recently had a consultant lay some future options before us. These include:
Upgrade the sewer plant (improve the effluent quality) then pump it to the Dasher River.
Upgrade the sewer plant (improve the effluent quality) then pump it to the Dodder Rivulet
Upgrade the sewer plant (improve the effluent quality) then re-use it on a farm to grow pasture and trees.

Given water scarceness increasing I have been pushing hard for the re-use option. Council will need to vote on this soon. I hope they vote for the re-use option.

Tony Coates contracts to Council and has done a very good job with a substandard plant. He has improved it's output considerably.

Now where do we find the millions of dollars to upgrade? Water and sewerage will no longer be council's direct responsibility after July 1 2009. It is up to us to set the future direction now.

Sheffield Christmas Carols

We have just attended the Sheffield Christmas Carols at the Sheffield School. What a great facility the new stadium is.

Pam the school chaplain gave a small talk about the need to slow down at Christmas and consciously give time to help others. She said that Christmas for some will be a sad and lonely time. I think of the Hibbles and Hayes families.

Christmas is a big thing in our family. We "do" advent each year building up to Christmas. I enjoy the build up. Jesus said "a person's life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions". Can't argue with that.

Merry Christmas.

Community Garden Meeting

Reporting back. A meeting was held at the Sheffield Town Hall to discuss the establishment of a community garden in Sheffield. Mark Beach-Ross chaired the meeting. There were about 20 people in attendance.

A working group of 5 or so was established on the night who will drive this project. The group is a good cross section of the town. Some big questions the group will need to consider:

Where will the garden be?
How will the garden look?
How big will the beds be?
How long can people have a plot?
What shelter will be needed?
Wat about insurance?

This is a very good project. I believe the timing is right it's establishment.

Do you want to get involved?

Wilmot Primary School Award Celebration Night

There were 5 Kentish Councillors who attended this night earlier this
week. The town hall was packed. I was really impressed by the turnout.
There were many music items this year including saxophone, recorder,
clarinet and electric guitar.

It struck me how imporant the Primary School is to the area of Wilmot.
There was open praise for the Principal and staff.

Wilmot in my time on Council has created no grief for us. The
community seem to get on with things without too much fuss. There is
now a market each month which is gaining traction.

Well done again Wilmot.

Community Garden Meeting

Tomorrow night we have a meeting with the hope of establishing a
community garden in Sheffield. Growing veggies with others sounds
better than growing them alone. It is happening at the Town Hall
supper rooms at 7pm. I hope you can cone.

Green Hall Meeting

Councillors met with Railton residents to discuss the future of the Green Hall.

Residents seem keen to keep the facility and want to see it better utilized by the community. The monitoring of the asbestos and potential expenses associated with it are a concern to me.

Council has just received $272,000 from the Federal Government. I wonder whether we should use some of this to remove all the asbestos from the Green Hall. Once and for all.

What I want is:

A hall that is run by an enthusiastic and active committee (after the meeting some people put their hand up to join which is great)
A hall that is low maintenance (remove the asbestos and do a few repairs and we may have this)
A hall that is well used by the community (the renewed energy of the committee will hopefully make this happen).

There has been confusion about insurance and what the target audience is for the hall. The committee and Council can now sort this out. The committee members who spoke on the night impressed me. Sincere and want to see the Green Hall well utilized.

So.....let's see if Council will spend some money removing the asbestos from the hall.............

Hawley Community Garden

A tribe of us headed to Hawley this afternoon to checkout their
community garden. It exceeded my expectations. People are allocated 4
by 5 metre plots which are a good size in my opinion. The gardens
actually take up 600 square metres with 17 plots available. There are
compost bins at both ends which are shared. People bring their own
tools and hoses. I was impressed by this garden. It was well tended
and productive. Rubicon landcare group manage the garden

This is all handy background information as we consider a community
garden in Sheffield.

30 Years at Tandara Lodge

Tandara Lodge this week celebrated 30 years of service to the community. With the finishing of a new wing recently happening Tandara put on a 30th birthday this Tuesday.

The Hon. Dick Adams officially opened the new wing which pretty much finishes all extensions that are possible at Tandara. They are now out of space.

I sit on the board of Tandara as a council rep and feel honoured to be there. It is an impressive and caring organization. Paul Crantock has a genuine care for the residents and sees them as people not a product. Tandara works hard to make the facility "homey" for the residents.

It is past time that the Federal Government gave more to aged care homes and eased off on all the regulation (or at least financially compensated them for it). I do not want to see Tandara ever swallowed up by one of the big players in the aged care scene. WIth strong community support this won't happen.

Community Garden

There is considerable energy around Sheffield at the moment to see a community garden established. It has my backing 100%.

Imagine a place where local people can come and grow vegies with others sharing ideas and having a laugh. There are many community gardens around the world. I am going to visit one this weekend at Hawley. Latrobe Council provide the land and a local group manage the garden. I am hoping Kentish Council has some suitable land that could be used in this project.

With the increasing price of vegetables this will be a great opportunity for people to get back to the soil.

Stay tuned. I hope we can see a public meeting to discuss this further by the end of the year.

Botts Road Lorinna

The above road is now the preferred new road access into Lorinna. Civil and structural engineer Chris Martin put together a report that was delivered to Council in November. The report is available on the homepage of the Kentish Council website.

The other option looked at was RIver Road. The engineer views this option quite dimly. One disadvantage is the extra distance. Botts Road will be about the same distance as Lorinna Road.

Council has decided to close Lorinna Road and upgrade River Road as an interim measure. Once the road is to a higher standard (spending $120,000) Lorinna Road will be permanently closed and residents will have to use River Road for a time. How long depends on how long it takes to get Botts Road built. Many anomalies in this equation ranging from securing funding to appeals against the new route. I would surprised to see a new road ready within 12 months. Very surprised.

Green Hall Railton

I moved a motion at the October Council meeting that we meet with residents to discuss the future of the Green Hall. This meeting will occur on Wednesday the 26th of November at the Green Hall in Railton.

The Green Hall is under-utilized at the moment and needs significant dollars spent on it. Asbestos checks also need to be regularly undertaken which add additional cost.

If the hall remains open what I want to see as a Councillor includes:

- a regular meeting and energetic management committee
- consistent community interest and involvement
- fundraising initiatives (like some other halls do), some way of getting the costs down.

I recognize that there is a need for the youth to have somewhere to meet and hang out. The Green Hall currently meets this need. Could we build a new and more suitable facility?

The hall is currently a financial drain for not much use. Not good value for ratepayers money. Yes the hall has special significance to some in Railton (for those that it does I expect they will be at the meeting).

So I would like to hear people's ideas about whether keeping the hall open is the best option.

I would only support the closure of the hall if there was something to replace it that would be low maintenance and a better all round facility.

One Year On

One year down and one to go. Visiting the Sheffield School Show today made me think back a year to when I visited last year. It was my first official invite to an event. I remember the excitement and awkwardness I felt.

The last 12 months has been a challenge. Council has been much more involved than I imagined. Taking more time and thought space as well. I have developed a thicker skin I think. I have learned to care less what others think of me and stand back and ask what is best for the municipality. Some will like it and some will not.

Being a Councillor involves trying to work with 3 groups. Other Councillors, Council staff and ratepayers. Not always having the same agenda. After a year of sitting around the table I think I have a decent feel as to where other Councillors are coming from. Sometimes they still surprise me. We are just a cross section of society so you can expect differences. The topic of Climate Change was raised recently and the spectrum around the table ranges from sceptic to whole hearted believer.

I have 12 months to decide on whether I stand again. I probably will depending on my employment and family life.

Local Government Workshop

I am in Hobart attending a 2 day workshop and learning lots. I am all
for learning new things as a new councillor. Topics covered have
included public speaking, water and sewerage reform, the Local
Government Act and Land Planning.

Local Government is a huge area with so many topics on our plate.
Coming away and looking at the municipality from the outside has been
beneficial.

Bumpy Bit

I had a shop owner show me a bumpy section of pavement near the Post Office
in Sheffield. I already knew it was there as I had stumbled
(literally) on it.

Anyway just letting you know it is going to be smoothed out in the near
future. Until then watch your step.

Sheffield Streetscape Stage Two

Council has approved stage two which will take works down around the
RSL in Sheffield. Well you can't say we aren't getting anything done!
I am keen to have a break after this stage and head down to Railton
and continue their streetscape. We will have to see what the other
councillors think. You need at least four to support a motion to be
successful.

The Official Photo

Here is the Kentish Council. What a crew.

Back left to right: Jan Rootes, Annie Willock, Peter Campbell, Penny Lane, Coralanne Walker
Front left to right: TIm Wilson, Mark Crouch (General Manager), Don Thwaites (Mayor), John Deverell (Deputy Mayor), Andrew Keddie.

Very different personalities here. A cross section of life. Working pretty well together too.

Humour

Some people think I am a bit of a serious type. Well I probably am in some ways. I take Council very seriously. People voted for me so I am ripping into it.

That said some things crack me up.

I find this funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y6NJPQoO-c&fmt=18

Sad really.

I find this a good laugh too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwfdYnSj5Vg&fmt=18

Good old Russell Coight

A cruel UK comedy named "The Office" probably tops it off for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE6P-lwS0lQ&feature=related&fmt=18

Well there is a short tour into a disturbed mind!

Mount Roland Rivercare

Tonight I attend the Mount Roland RIvercare Catchment Inc (MRRCCi) AGM. I have been a member of MRRCCi since joining Council. We had a few politicians there tonight, Dick Adams (Labor House of Reps) and Richard Colbeck (Liberal Senator). I had a good talk to them both. I have a bit more understanding of politicians now.

MRRCCi have just won a State Landcare award and are heading to Canberra for the national awards soon. Pretty impressive.

On October 18 there will be a Willows Field Day hosted by MRRCCi. If you would like to learn a little of the impact of certain Willows on our rivers then come to the CLaude Road Hall at 1pm and come on a field expedition.

A good BBQ was put on before the AGM with wallaby sausages on the menu. Rivercare meets monthly if you would like to become a member.

Public Question TIme

At our most recent Council meeting the Mayor decided to move Public Question Time towards the beginning of the meeting. I think this is a good idea. For those who want to just ask a question there is no need for them to endure the entire meeting before getting the chance. I hope the Mayor continues to allow questions to be asked early on.

A few rules:

15 minutes is allowed for the entire question time
People must state their name and where they live
They must ask a question (often forgotten by people)

Green Hall

I know when Council considered closing the Green Hall at Railton some years back that there was a lot of resistance.

Green Hall is back on the Council agenda. It's future is in question again. Once I have looked over the issue in depth I will post some thoughts.

Sheffield Streetscape Stage 2

Council has decided to continue straight on to stage 2 of the streetscape in Sheffield. This will take the streetscape down to the RSL club. We were considering redirecting finances down to Railton so work could commence on the eastern side of Foster St. This got knocked on the head due to a significant amount of funds already being committed to stage 2 in Sheffield. Even if we had transferred funds across there wouldn't have been sufficient cash to undertake any significant work.

Kentish Council cannot afford to run two streetscapes at the same time. I would like to run alternate programs. One year in Sheffield, one year in Railton. The end dates will be stretched out but so be it. I am not prepared to wait until Sheffield is totally complete before we continue at Railton. I know there are some councillors who may disagree with this!

$50

Rural properties are being charged a $50 waste management fee. This will allow them and all Kentish residents to use the Waste Transfer Stations free of charge (there are a few exceptions).

Some hate the fee and some reckon it is great. The idea is to hopefully stem the dumping of rubbish in the bush. For those who have more than 1 title they have to pay twice (or more). Apparently if they consolidate their titles into one (possible if they are adjoining) then the fee will not apply in the future.

I would like to return to the user pays system. Fairest system I think.

I heard a fellow in the council today who was pretty unimpressed...I think over the $50 fee. Full marks to a patient staff.

I like the idea behind the free access but I don't think we have implemented it well. I would be surprised if the $50 fee is around next budget.

Lorinna Road

What can I say.........the most perplexing issue before council.

Our engineers want it closed.

I will not support upgrading the road. I would like to close it and provide another access into Lorinna.

River Road would most probably be cheapest. We could undertake the work without any external funding. I think most Kentish residents want the cheapest option that does the job and get on with it. River Road would deliver this.

Almost all Lorinna residents are against this option. It will add 20 km to a round trip.

At this point the Lorinna community is divided. If the community would be united for a new road over the top of the ridge then I would be all ears. To this point some residents in Lorinna have undermined attempts by council to gain funding for a road over the top.

Will this continue? If so it would be much easier for council just to upgrade River Road and be done with it. Many other Kentish residents would be quite content with this.

Stay tuned in the ongoing saga that is Lorinna Road!

Water and Sewerage

The responsibility for running water and sewerage will be taken from council in the next financial year. For some councils water and sewerage are "cash cows" for Kentish sewerage especially is a financial liability. The Sheffield Waste Water Treatment Plant is an expensive and undersized facility that many more thousands of dollars will be needed to improve it's capacity.

I will be happy to see water and sewerage go (as a Councillor). As a ratepayer we can expect a 2 part billing scheme. The first part will be an infrastructure fee, the second will be a pay as you go. So if you don't use much water you won't get charged much. Frugaility will be a virtue! We are big water users here (I have lots of kids) so I guess it is time to have a good look at water saving ideas. Paying from the first litre will instill in some that water is a valuable resource.

Latrobe Council

Latrobe Councillors travelled up to Kentish for a get together with us last week. It was really good to have some time together. Kentish and Latrobe had a joint authority in the fairly recent past that didn't succeed. It let to some bitterness and resentment on both sides.

I will leave it to the Mayor to explain what we are up to but I would like to say that I am pleased we are talking together. Latrobe is a solid council and we have much in common.

Snow on Roland

It was hard to miss the snow on Roland last week. Don't we live in a great place?

We have enjoyed plenty of snow fights up behind Mt Roland in these conditions.

The mountain draws people to it. It is stunning. Who says it is a poor cousin to Cradle Mountain?!!

Back Road Bridge Wilmot

We had to do emergency work on the bridge recently due to forestry harvesting in the area. The bridge was replaced with a concrete structure. Cost $37,000. It is a small bridge but the cost was still significant. Did you know we have over 100 bridges in Kentish?

Rates up 8%

A rate rise is never popular. Well they have headed north by 8%. We are realistically looking at a 5% increase in costs plus the streetscapes and projects makes this figure pretty realistic.

The budget process was a real eye opener. Many meetings starting initially with a $800,000 deficit. A lot of work went into knocking it down. We managed to reign it in to about a $50,000 deficit. A few heated discussions along the way. I was surprised it passed unanimously. A good sign.

The State government have just introduced a rate discount to anyone with a Commonwealth Health Care Card. Wow! There are many Kentish residents with this card. The discount is substantial. Over $300. Call in to Council and fill out a form and the discount is yours. Don't forget to take you Healthcare Card with you.

I have a really bad feeling about the economic future. My inkling is that oil prices will keep climbing creating huge financial problems for councils and individuals alike. I don't think we can continue raising rates indefinitely. We have less money in our pockets due to inflation. I think we will need to cut some services in the future to save some dollars.

Sheffield Streetscape

Streetscape was a word I had never heard of until recently. It basically means a new facelift for a street.

A section of Sheffield Main St is being developed at the moment. It has caused some inconvenience for shop owners and shoppers alike. Still how are you supposed to replace a pavement without any interruption? The work team have struck a snag at John Mitchells. They have uncovered some old fuel tanks from the old days when there was a service station located there. It will be added to the bill to deal with these!

This is only stage 1 of a 4 stage process. The State Government has paid the lion's share of this first stage. For the next 3 we will be on our own. Around $500,000 per year. For those who say their rates shouldn't be used to pay for the streetscape well it isn't that simple. Some do not use the Sheffield shopping centre but many in Sheffield do not use many of the rural bridges (but they still pay for their upkeep). We all subsidize each other. That is how it works.

Rates 08/09

Well the budget is looming and my first as a Kentish Councillor. This is a testing time. I think rates need to go up significantly.

Here are few reasons why.

- Our cash balance is becoming uncomfortably low due to a backlog of capital works actually being completed
- We are not putting enough money aside to maintain our current infrastructure
- Sheffield and Railton streetscapes both will need significant cash to complete

We are up against it in Kentish on a few fronts.

Kentish has 110 bridges to maintain (Latrobe has 28). Kentish has 485 km of sealed and unsealed roads to maintain (Latrobe has 282 km). Kentish has 3461 ratable properties to pay for all this (Latrobe has 5065 -1604 more properties that pay rates to maintain their infrastructure). So for people who compare the rates between councils they need to compare not just the rates but the infrastructure that needs to be maintained and the amount of ratable properties that are available to service these expenses.

Given inflation figures just released for the March quarter are 4.2% councils can realistically be looking at an increase of around 4.5% for the services that it needs eg construction. So we will pay more money for the same service. If we factor in the doubling of the price of a barrel of oil in the last 12 months we can see that council (and all of us) are in for hard times ahead.


Traditionally councils either increase rates or decrease services to deal with financial difficulties. Federal grants can help to offset some costs. With the new Labor government talking tough on spending cuts I feel that grants will become harder to get hold of.

Getting rid of some assets needs to be considered. Underutilized buildings that cost a heap to maintain.

As a councillor I am a steward of the communities assets including the finances. We need to stay in the black.

One thing we need is more ratable properties. Bring on subdivisions and encouraging developers in this.

Council finances are complex and a challenge to me. I take this seriously.

Stoodley Road

Lorinna Road has been the focus of much attention for me since joining Council. Stoodley Road has now cropped up it's head.

There is a section of the road that would shake your false teeth out. Really badly corrugated. No one can argue that.

Local residents, council staff and some councillors met on site recently to discuss a way forward. I can understand the frustration that some residents felt.

It was agreed to:

-make sure the road is graded twice a year
-try a new gravel surface with clay properties which will hopefully bind the surface better
-reassess the surface in 12 months.

Hopefully the grader will arrive in the next few weeks to work on the road.

I am sure all residents would like to see the road sealed with bitumen. A very costly exercise for not many people. I don't think council can justify the expense.

I was impressed by how the onsite meeting was conducted and how it didn't spiral downwards into a bun fight. Full marks to the local residents.

Caravan Parks

Sheffield is a tourist town but has no caravan park. Go figure? There was a little one a few years ago at the back of King George Park. However all the wiring has been ripped up now and Council have decided it should return to parkland.

Most people want a caravan park in Sheffield but no one has developed a business plan on how it might happen. Council's current view is that we don't want to develop one ourselves but are keen to see what a private operator may propose. A possible location for one is down at the Rec Ground.

Councillor Andrew Keddie (don't you love the formal names!) and myself went and visited Longford Caravan Park recently. The official name is Riverside Caravan Park. To be honest the owner was less than enthusiastic about the long term viability of Caravan Parks. Big motor homes are becoming more numerous now, many being self contained and not needing power or facilities. Some of these are looking for free camping sites. People are expecting improved services at reduced rates. Not good for business.

I am far from starry eyed about having a caravan park in Sheffield. I am concerned at how a business could survive given the long winter months. It is reasonable to assume that petrol prices will keep rising over the years which will put a ceiling on tourism numbers. Caravan parks are a big investment of capital. Council does not have much cash to play with.

We currently have a pull over area for motor homes at the Sheffield Rec Ground and also one at Railway Park in Railton. Maybe we should look at beefing up services to these already established sites?

These are my views and I don't know what other councillors think. Time will tell............

Festival of Earth Air and Water

Andrew Jewell the youth officer invited me to come down and judge the Great Kentish Milk Carton Boat Race 3000 at Kentish Park. I decided I would bring some of my kids as well. This event was part of a 3 day youth event put on for the local younger people. There were many other events such as:

Billy Cart Races
Face Painting
Water Wars!
Sumo Wrestling
Kite Displays

I was really impressed by what I saw. Andrew and his team of helpers seemed to have everything well organized including the presence of St John's ambulance service.

We really enjoyed watching the billy carts racing down the hill. Two of my children also had their faces painted. The weather was pretty foul on Saturday so it was nice to see the sun return on Sunday.

Well done to Andrew and his team!

Steam Fest 2008

I took some of my kids down to Steam Fest on Saturday. There were many things to do. We rode the steam train, jumped on the jumping castle, won a fairy princess crown on the clowns and the children went on a ride set up by the scouts. I enjoyed looking at the old military tank as well.

It was good to see so many tourists in the town. The weather was kind and we enjoyed the morning.

The image you can see is of the scary Bounty Hunter ride.

Settling in

Well it's been a few months now as a councillor. By this stage I think all the councillors are getting used to each other.

I am working a few things out:

Vote for people who will take the job seriously, work hard and use their brain. Don't vote for people just because they are popular. So when you vote again in 2 years take heed of this advice I know I will.

Lorinna Road is moving towards Planning Approval stage. Council is going slow on this one. I have questions that need to be addressed by an engineer. The planned new road is taking up lots of my time.

We agreed at our recent meeting in Wilmot to fund $8700 in urgent repairs at the Railton Rainbow Play Centre. The ladies are working in a shoebox so the money will help a little to make the place a more comfortable place to be for kids and staff. This is only a stop gap measure though. I think they need to get out of there..but where?

I find being a councillor the most challenging role I have had to undertake (bar parenting). I really enjoy it and hope I continue to do so.

Streetscape work with start in Sheffield after the Global Mural Conference. Things will get dirty and noisy. No Pain No Gain though.

2008 here we go

Well I had a bit of a break from the blog over January. We had a great Christmas.

I feel more settled as a councillor now, more confident to ask questions and press the point when I see fit.

I think the make up of Councillors is good. There are some really good people on board who want to actually do some things.

Lorinna Road is back on the agenda. I have received lots of letters from Lorinna residents, mostly wanting to keep the old road. Council had set aside around $850,000 to go toward building a new road into Lorinna. We will need about the same again to see the project get off the ground. The previous council passed a motion to build a new road once additional funds were found. From what I have read and seen I think this was a wise decision.

Caravan Park. Everybody agrees the town should have one but there has been very little interest from business to get a park happening. I think the previous park location should not be revisited. All the electrical cabling has now been ripped up anyway. We met some Danish cyclists who felt stranded last Sunday night as they arrived in Sheffield after tea expecting to be able to stay at the Caravan Park. It's all a bit strange living in a tourist town with no caravan park. I don't think council should run a park.

Sheffield Streetscape. There was a public meeting tonight at the RSL to let the public know about the coming stage 1 of the Sheffield Streetscape. Raise curbs, new paving, planter boxes and underground electrical cabling. Stage one will bring a dramatic change to part of the main street. The project is estimated to cost close to 1.5 million dollars to complete over the 4 stages. The development will bring disruption to businesses. No pain no gain they say. Hopefully the contractors will work well with businesses.

Tandara Lodge has recently received a huge grant to refurbish the Button Wing. Work that is long overdue. As a Councillor I now sit on the board of Tandara. This is a great achievement. Given the aging population Tandara will keep increasing in importance overtime.

Well that it's for today. Please email me on timintas@gmail.com if you have any comments.

Tim