Is this really Council business?

They were promoting in the first instance a beginner worm farming and composting workshop, and then there was the promo for “the power of herbs” which offered to educate the ratepayers in the many uses of herbs and other things to clean your home with chemicals.

It also listed a weekly permaculture workshop for teens aimed at making our community more sustainable.

Nothing, however, about how Council is going to fix the potholes that have emerged after the recent rains.

It makes me feel even less inclined to pay my annual rates if this is where some of the cash is being diverted!
 

Some facts about us 

The latest Wollongong City Council annual report tells us that there some 198,000 plus people living here, 21 per cent of whom are between the ages of 35 and 49 years and 22 per cent of the population born overseas.

It also suggests home ownership has fallen, and that 68 per cent of our population work locally.

Council received 566 noise complaints with more than 75 per cent concerning barking dogs. Other noise complaints related to operation of tools, swimming pool pumps, air conditioning units and amplified sound equipment.

Council also spent a record $73 million on major projects and achieved a savings target of $6.7 million which was channelled into infrastructure.

Keeping us out

The news that our city council is about to install 141 parking meters in the city will keep more people from coming into the heart of our major shopping area, but it will be good news for Dapto and Shellharbour, with both suburbs offering fairly decent shopping malls.

People I have spoken with in recent days just shake their heads in amazement at this latest council proposal, and if I was a trader in the heart of the city I’d be up in arms at the plan.

True battler leaves us  

It’s with a touch of sadness that I learned recently that Maureen McHugh, the Dapto resident who fought so valiantly to preserve the beauty of Tallawarra, has left us to live in the Northern Territory.

Her efforts over the recent years are to be admired. A true believer in her cause who never gave way and eventually won the day.

Unanswered questions 

You’d think our politicians would give all the answers considering how much they spend of our taxes on their regular newsletters. Well, not the case where Lylea McMahon, Member for Shellharbour, is concerned.

In her latest “promo” she talks about health and the opening of a $6.9 million, 20 bed non–acute mental health facility; the commencement of a home berthing service and the plan to double the number of renal dialysis chairs from six to 12, but she doesn’t say where all this is to take place.

Then there’s her comment about the $400,000 allocated to local community groups, but again she doesn’t say where the money will go.

ICAC action?

And now we read that the Independent Commission Against Corruption ( ICAC ) has, after two years, decided to proceed with charges against former city councillors Kiril Jonovski, Frank Gigliotti and Zeki Esen for allegedly giving false information to their original hearing some two years ago.

I don’t really care whether they were guilty or not, but for them to have to wait all this time for a chance to try and clear themselves is not fair.

But then again this is NSW where nothing seems to happen in a hurry.

More sex - just what we need

I’m being a bit rough on the city council this time round but surely we don’t need more legalised brothels in our city.

I’ve got nothing against sex, but nine new areas for brothels to operate in is a bit over the top, so to speak!

Why did it take so long?  

So finally the Minister for Transport and one of our elected local pollies and former Mayor David Campbell has copped a bagging in State Parliament for his woeful efforts concerning commuter travel etc.

For the life of me I can’t believe he has escaped this criticism of his woeful efforts for so long.