Sunday, August 30, 2009

Here is a report from a Queenslander who experienced forced amalgamation. I have changed the names of the towns, councils and shires to names of chocolates. What can I say? I like chocolate...

"I am very pleased to pass on the experiences of forced amalgamations. My former shire of Kit Kat is now one of the members of the amalgamated council of Picnic Regional Council (after a name change from Flake Regional Council as at the time of the first election, the name of Flake was opposed from the very beginning because it was a former town council at the centre of the donut but the government would not listen. However people power in the last couple of months sought the change and was successful). I am now a bystander from the amalgamations as I relocated to the neighbouring Cherry Ripe Shire which was relatively unaffected by amalgamation apart from having a reduction of representatives from nine councillors plus the Mayor (at which I was successful) to four plus the Mayor.
As far as I can see there is no benefit as yet from the process only lots of cost (in the millions) large increases in rates to cover the costs as the government will not give any assistance to the blow-outs because they are flat broke!!

The town of Crunchie, which was the administrative centre for the Kit Kat Shire, is suffering badly as the office which was once a vital hub for all the activities now has the feeling of a morgue. The people of the shire are totally demoralised, rarely see a representative (the old council area did not get one elected representative on the new council, where formerly they had nine plus the Mayor). 
Services are just about non-existent , road maintenance has declined to a point where roads that were identified as priority one and would be graded twice a year now have been graded once in 18 months, robust plant replacement programs have been trashed and a directive to purchase second hand machinery and rebuilds for major breakdowns are across the board, school enrolment declined from around the stable 100 for many years dropped to 50/60 in twelve months, houses vacant everywhere whereas before council had to move in houses to meet the demand.
All major repairs for machinery is done in Flake (machinery freighted to central workshop). I quite often talk to my old work colleagues and they are totally demoralized and where they went that extra mile for the old council they tell me they do not have the inclination to do one bit more than they are paid to do as the community spirit is no longer there. They tell me the communication is appalling and half the time they do not know what they are supposed to be doing.

I could go on for ever, I am so sad ,as the little Kit Kat Shire was identified in the highest category for sustainability for a rural shire and there was no good reason to see it amalgamated with any other shire apart from to prop up shires that had been categorised as unsustainable. Now all amalgamation has achieved is one larger unsustainable council.

Similarly, I received the following comment from a Qld CEO of a Shire not amalgamated:
'The Queensland reform is yet to provide any benefits , as I see it. The cost of amalgamation has been huge for the affected Councils. Very large increases in rate levies have been a result over the past two budgets across the State. The cost of wages equalization alone resulted in an impost of several million dollars for some Council’s.
Then the cost of IT mergers is huge also , with the annual expense of rental on the lines running into several hundred thousand dollars.'
From discussion with affected CEO’s , it will take years to get back to some semblance of order , and the staff morale is extremely low" .

 Sounds promising, doesn't it?