Sticking with the Facts – Invite to Learn More
Published on 11 November 2022
Leeton Shire General Manager, Jackie Kruger, said she and her Councillors are concerned that Leeton Shire’s good reputation as an attractive place to live and work has been damaged by misinformation and disinformation that has been heavily circulated on social media in recent weeks during the SRV (Special Rate Variation) Proposal consultation period.
At a workshop on Wednesday night, Mrs Kruger advised Councillors that many of these same sentiments have unfortunately come through in the public submissions to Council on the SRV, suggesting ‘novel’ social media commentary seemed to inform many submissions instead of the facts that Council put out on Have Your Say, in the Irrigator, on Facebook or at the public engagement sessions.
In its communications about the SRV Council explained that the SRV is necessary because of unrealistic rate pegging, freezing of the Financial Assistance Grant, cost-shifting from NSW government, increased compliance obligations, depreciation increases and catching up the infrastructure backlog – all issues that are plaguing the entire local government sector in NSW and most of which were identified in 2015 as needing to be addressed through a Financial Sustainability Improvement Plan when Leeton was declared Fit For The Future at that time.
Mrs Kruger advised Councillors this week that some of the more prevalent misunderstandings from submitters are that major capital projects have led to the SRV; that being declared Fit For the Future in 2015 meant Council was declared financially sustainable over the long term (which it was not); that staff numbers are bloated and staff are overpaid; and that operational mismanagement has led to the SRV.
Council wishes to set the record straight by inviting interested community (individuals or small groups of no more than 5 people) to register to meet one-on-one with the Council team to discuss the Leeton Pool project, the Roxy Community Theatre project, and Council’s finances, including staffing numbers and how Award negotiations work. Meetings will be in 15-minute time slots. Each topic will be handled separately in differently locations by an appropriate LSC representative and registered persons are asked to provide their questions in advance, if possible, to ensure the available time can be used as effectively and efficiently as possible.
“You let us know what you want to understand better – however controversial - and we will do our very best to answer. Leeton Shire Council has nothing to hide and provided its legally appropriate to share the information you are after, we are happy to tell residents anything they want to know”, said Mrs Kruger.
“Council will also collate all the questions and answers from these sessions, along with the SRV submission themes and responses, and publish these on Council’s Website, Have Your Say, and in the Irrigator in the coming weeks for everyone to read.
“It’s important our community is working with the real facts”, she added.
Residents interested to avail themselves of the opportunity to meet face to face to find out more can register for a slot on either Monday 21 November between 3pm and 7pm, or on Monday 28th between 9am and 1pm. To register please call Council on 69530911 and book a slot for Pool, Roxy and/or Finance engagement. Please note slots will be allocated on a first come first serve basis and meetings may be recorded.
Mrs Kruger thanked the community for taking the time to make their voices heard about the SRV and assured submitters that everyone’s views would get full consideration by staff and the elected Councillors.
“Council has received around 900 submissions all of which will be provided to the Councillors to review. A few submitters concede there is a need but overwhelmingly there is no support for the SRV. Within the reasons provided, affordability is a key message that that could influence how any final SRV recommendation from staff is structured. The elected Council will make its decision how to proceed at a meeting on 23 November”, said Mrs Kruger.