IS IT council's role to spend the rates and charges on themselves, not on important infrastructure projects which will serve the whole community?

Last Wednesday, I and a large number of other citizens attended the council meeting in order to hear council's deliberations. I was taken aback by two things:

The first being the money that has been spent on the "Taj Mahal" that council has built for itself in Warwick since the councils were amalgamated. Is this the sort of useless project where Stanthorpe Shire's surplus of more than $13 million went and much more?

We were told that the front desk and inquiries facilities I visited occasionally in 2008 to 2010 were inadequate. I, as an experienced design engineer and project manager on industrial projects large and small, thought they just needed a minimal reorganisation of the existing facilities, not the grand facilities that have been built within the council's Fitzroy St entrance; the same can be said for the alterations in Stanthorpe;

The second, that councillors have made no serious attempt to cater for regular attendance by citizens at its meetings.

At neither Warwick nor Stanthorpe has any effort been made for a proper public gallery. Nor is any effort made to amplify conversation so that it is audible for people who do come to listen to their councillors' "deliberations and decision making".

The people are crowded into chairs behind the councillors' seats, and find themselves looking at the back or oblique side of councillors' heads and simply cannot hear them. Any facilities for press attendance are also below expectations.

Perhaps the inadequate facilities for press and public are SDRC's part of the plan by the previous government to "close" many council sessions and keep council deliberations and decision making confidential and not available to the concerned "shareholders", the ratepayers and residents.

Rate increase is 'way out'

THE Southern Downs Regional Council budget is out, and the Mayor has announced a 5% rate rise which is WAY OUT.

Coupled with a reduced discount from 10% to 7.5%, those of you (a majority?) who seek the discount each year will pay a whopping increase of nearly 8%, eg: If you normally take advantage of the discount and your rate rise is on the average, you will pay 7.9%. If you got the discount last year and you forget or are delayed this year you will pay 16% more. It is an average so there will be pluses and minuses, but even if you are one of the fortunate ones on a rate increase of 4.5% you will still be slugged 7.4% more (but 16% if you do not get the discount). Roll on council demerger.

Last year I pointed to serious anomalies in the budget figures and suggested that people should study the budget in great detail and talk to their councillors.

This year I implore those with a tad of accounting knowledge to please do that and keep this council fully accountable. Creative accounting can be a problem!

R. Johnson, Stanthorpe.