At odds with facts
I WAS disappointed to read in The Guardian (Monday, February 3, 2020) a number of assertions by the Member for Murray which could lead readers to a distorted and ill-informed misunderstanding of recent events at Balranald Shire Council.
While I have no wish to engage in a public slinging match with our local member, I believe that the people of Balranald shire should be aware that comments attributed to her are at odds with the facts.
Possibly the most serious of the comments attributed to her are inferences of financial mismanagement.
By way of example, her questions regarding the proceeds from the Caltex sale; the general manager and I did not fail to respond to her questions, but rather we provided a response verbally and pointed her to where this information is publicly available in council’s financial statements.
Similarly, the suggestion that financial reports relating to the Balranald Caravan Park have not been submitted are only partially true in that monthly reports were submitted to council on the public record but these were missing some detail that could only be supplied by the former caravan park managers who would not co-operate.
This has now been rectified, as the Member for Murray has been informed, since council assumed full control of the caravan park with access to the missing information.
Crown Lands have been kept fully informed and have expressed satisfaction with the information provided.
I am also perplexed by the suggestion that “many remarkable people in Balranald [have been] pushing for years to see the town grow [but] were blocked by bureaucrats and mismanagement”.
In 34 years as a councillor and mayor, I cannot recall a single initiative to come before council that would have provided economic growth and which was not supported.
As for “astronomical” increases in rates, this can only be a reference to isolated instances where independent review has found that some business enterprises had been significantly undercharged in the past and council had rectified this in response to state government directions.
As to the member’s unflattering opinions of myself, some of my colleagues and the general manager, she is of course entitled to her view, as are the vast majority of the people in our community who have supported me over more than three decades.
In my view, the general manager and current staff of the council have done, and continue to do, an extraordinary job in overcoming acknowledged past challenges and setting Balranald on course for a healthy future.
It is my hope that the appointment of an administrator will provide an opportunity to set aside politicking and personal smears so that we can all move forward into that future.
