George Town Council
CONGRATULATIONS to Local Government reporter Holly Monery (The Examiner, July 14) for the reporting of the George Town Council underlying deficit of $1,122,500 for the 2017-18 financial year which is not dis-similar from the previous year. The report reveals the public attending wanted to know “how did we get here?” The planned major overhaul to the administration of the municipality is welcomed but only beneficial if the community has a voice and is not silenced.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As a former councillor concerned at the lack of long term fiscal sustainability I can attest to how the George Town Council has got to this parlous financial state. There has been a code of silence re the need to change general managers several times in less than five years. Severance payments are expensive. Rates per property and salary averages are among the highest in the state according to the Auditor General. A “top-end” management structure has escalated in recent years. Governance by policy has been long forgotten. In addition council will not declare legal fees and other losses defending “in-house” planning irregularities. I put that cost conservatively at over $500,000.
I am at a loss as to why Local Government Minister Peter Gutwein has not responded to ratepayer concerns and relies on an outdated four year old report.
Graeme Neilsen, George Town.
Plastic shopping bags
PORTRAYING plastic shopping bags as the only culprit of environmental problems, while nearly every food product is covered in some kind of plastic or styrofoam that doesn’t break down, makes no sense. Why is the plastic shopping bag the only one targeted? Growers, manufacturers, supermarkets and the fast food industry introduced all the wrappings including plastics and they have always factored plastic shopping bags and others before them into the price of products. So if anything, shoppers who bring their own bags now should get a discount but customers should not have to pay for them twice.
Most people already recycle their so-called single use plastic shopping bags for many other uses including bin liners, which means they would have to buy other bags and pay for them extra, but the general use of plastic bags is not diminished. Why ar not all plastic bags biodegradable by now? A government-sponsored education program on the correct disposal of all plastics should be a priority. It is hard to understand that plastic shopping bags are such a priority, when there are so many other serious problems in the community like dealing with the huge crime rates, infrastructures, jobs, housing, transport and hospitals, which need urgent improvement.
R. E. Kudis, Montrose.
Highly vulnerable teens
ANGLICARE produced a report about highly vulnerable teens in Tasmania (The Examiner, July 12). I feel for these teens who are suffering abandonment, neglect and lack of love. I hope the state government realises that to not provide enough support for these people is a false economy. Not supporting and healing young people only means much greater costs later in police time, hospital time and doctor time. Apart from that, if supported and guided, it helps youngsters become constructive members of society and pay taxes for a lifetime. This is a windfall for all of us. Let us not forget that in the end all of us as taxpayers have to pay for not helping these young people at the right time.
Theo Bakker, Norwood.
Tamar Estuary Taskforce
IT WILL cost $2 million for the Tamar Estuary Taskforce to clean up our third-world country sewerage problem. Let's hope that they come up with a solution before 10,000 students descend on Inveresk and add to our problem. There will be even more brown blobs bobbing up and down on their way to the sea.
Glennis Sleurink, Launceston.
Scallops
I DINED recently at an upmarket restaurant on the mainland. A scallop dish was on the menu. I asked where they sourced their scallops and was told Canada. I asked why not from Tasmania, and was told they couldn't rely on a regular supply of quality product. This seems a sad reflection on what should be an iconic Tasmanian industry. What can be done about this?
Tim Thorne, Launceston.
Where to now for Greens
ONE must declare that many are hoping that their political destination is oblivion. Contemporary society is being too often subjected to the over vocal voices of minorities. They are rarely productively focused, generally economically impossible and dramatically overstated. The Greens are a prime example of this curious social anomaly. Surely we are tired of having political preachers selling political snake oil. Such viable notions that they have from time to time proposed have been rationally improved upon and adopted into the policies of both state and federal governments; a process requiring some considerable skill to shake the white rabbits out of them. Most political factions have red herrings but the Greens being prone to fantasies have more mythical creatures than their best friends the Labor Party who rely on mythical lights on mythical hills while dispensing Medicare mendacity in family packs. What ever happened to political integrity?
Len Langan, Longford.
Balloons
I AM writing to express my concern over the release of balloons into the air to celebrate special causes. Although the causes they are being released to celebrate are very worthy I feel that the consequences are not being considered. At some stage they will burst and fall to litter the countryside or worse still end up in our waterways and oceans where they are frequently eaten by birds and marine life causing a slow death. I am sure that the organisers of these events do not want this to happen so please think creatively and find other non damaging ways to promote and celebrate your cause.
Mary Richardson, St Helens.