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!