Long-term financial sustainability is fast becoming the big challenge for Loddon Shire, and it was high on the agenda when Peter Walsh, the Member for Murray Plains, joined the council’s meeting on Tuesday.
Mayor Dan Straub and CEO Lincoln Fitzgerald both said they were hanging out for the Government response to the Upper House inquiry into local government sustainability and what it might mean for the future.
Mr Fitzgerald said while Loddon Shire has Victoria’s cheapest annual rates that also has a significant impact on the services and programs it can deliver residents.
They also agreed with Mr Walsh the cost-shifting strategy of the government, which sees councils now responsible for collecting fees such as the fire services levy on its behalf, creates a new raft of problems. Mr Fitzgerald said when ratepayers get their annual rates bill, and their eyes go to the very bottom line for the total cost. “Not many accept this has nothing to do with us, they just assume it is the local council jacking up the charges – and we’re not.”“Next we understand we face greater costs in rubbish collection as we will be forced to have more bins for different waste, and that will also further increase the size of the number on that bottom line – but it is a charge beyond our control, we will just get the blame.”
Mr Walsh said reduced state and federal funding to local government has presented a challenge to most shires, but in the case of ones such as Loddon, with no major population hubs, they have proved a real problem.
He said because of its smaller rating potential, even a two or three or four per cent rise is not going to make a major difference in the shire’s investment potential.
“It is already a struggle for the shire to maintain its community’s assets – and Loddon does that better than many I have seen – but it is increasingly creating major challenges in how it manages things such as its road network,” Mr Walsh explained.
“I also spoke to the council about the urgent need for the Goulburn Murray Water channel at Boort to be converted to a pipe because of its enormous safety risks.” Another issue causing concern for both the shire and Mr Walsh was the future of harness racing in Wedderburn and Boort.
Mr Walsh said HRV has appointed a new chair who is now urgently investigating the way it conducts business.