A SURF Coast Shire councillor\u2019s push for more \u201ctransparency\u201d in the budget has been knocked back by her fellow councillors.<\/p>\n
Cr Heather Wellington moved the notice of motion at the council\u2019s meeting on January 23, arguing that the shire needed to \u201cdeliver basic services and maintain key infrastructure at a standard that meets its statutory obligations and community expectations\u201d.<\/p>\n
Cr Wellington said the motion came about in the context of the next budget being developed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve never actually taken a bottom-up approach to the budget to say what the fundamental basic needs of the community are in relation to council\u2019s expenditure of community money, and what the priorities are in how we meet them.\u201d Using planning compliance, roads maintenance and asset maintenance as examples, Cr Wellington said the budget should be presenting information in a different way, showing the gap between what was being spent and what was needed.<\/p>\n
She said there were many worthy causes, but the council could not and should not take on everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might be legitimate to say \u2018let\u2019s diminish our spending on unsealed roads\u2019, but it should be an informed conversation with the community \u2013 do you want us to do that, or would you rather us spend money on a rainbow flag, or on a solar energy program, or something else that might be attractive to people in the community? Maybe it is, but let\u2019s have the conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking against the motion, Cr Libby Coker said a recent study of the shire\u2019s young people showed that renewable energy and climate change was the most important priority for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be leaders, and we need to deliver on things that give people a future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cr Wellington\u2019s motion, which called for officers to prepare an \u201coutcome-focused analysis of the adequacy of the council\u2019s past and planned investment\u201d in those three areas from 2015\/16 onwards was lost, three votes to five.<\/p>\n
An alternative motion moved by Cr Martin Duke \u201caffirming the importance to our community of council\u2019s services\u201d in those three areas and to continue the reform program was passed unanimously.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a motherhood statement; it\u2019s impossible to vote against it,\u201d Cr Wellington said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A SURF Coast Shire councillor\u2019s push for more \u201ctransparency\u201d in the budget has been knocked back by her fellow councillors. Cr Heather Wellington moved the notice of motion at the council\u2019s meeting on January 23, arguing that the shire needed to \u201cdeliver basic services and maintain key infrastructure at a standard that meets its statutory […]<\/p>\n