Rates relief if needed but services require funding

BY CR OWEN SHARKEY

MAYOR, GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE

IN Golden Plains, we share an understanding that our corner of the world truly is a special place to live.

While we have easy access to all the big city assets in nearby Geelong or Ballarat, here at home, we have the very best of small town life – we have real backyards, we enjoy the peace and quiet of our rural lifestyle, and our neighbours are our friends.

We know it’s not all sunshine and roses right now. In our towns, there are people who have lost their jobs or had their work hours cut, those who have family and friends living overseas in terrible situations, and there are people who are struggling in isolation without their usual support network.

There are many levels of difficulty, stress and heartache, and we face more uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead.

Some people have suggested that council could eliminate rates to help everyone – and believe me, we’d love to do that. The reality is that as a small rural Shire, every year our budget is tight and it’s funded almost entirely by rates – we don’t have the revenue that other councils have, like parking meters and big industry.

Put simply, if we cut out rates, we cannot continue services like Meals and Wheels, personal care of our aged and disability clients, and helping new parents and babies with maternal and child health services – and we know that supporting our community is more important than ever right now.

With this front of mind, council has chosen to focus its financial support on helping those who need it the most – our ratepayers and residents in genuine hardship from the COVID-19 crisis, who need more time to pay their bills and get back on track; as well as our local businesses who need some financial breaks to keep operating or to reopen the doors in the future.

We’ve laid out our commitment in our new hardship policy and welcome all concerned residents to give us a call to chat about how we can help you.

On behalf of council, I’d like to thank all our local residents who continue to go out and work every day in hospitals and pharmacies, grocery stores and banks, offices and their own local businesses.

I also want to acknowledge the hard work and caring response of the council staff. I know it’s a popular past-time of many to berate council workers, instead I hope that our residents will appreciate their dedicated efforts to continue supporting our customers, clients, volunteers and residents through this crisis.

Though there is great tragedy and turmoil across the world, in our lucky country there is also hope, and here in Golden Plains, there are heart-warming stories of great caring and compassion.

Stories like the Linton Progress Association supporting neighbours with the local food pantry and the Smythesdale IGA delivering packages of essential groceries to the homes of council’s aged and vulnerable clients.

At Council, we started the Be Kind campaign to connect our residents at a time of distance and to inspire others with the fantastic efforts of our local communities. Please stay connected with us and your community on council’s social media and website, or read the Golden Plains Times and the Gazette.

There’s no doubt, it’s a tough time for many people and it’s heartening to see our communities embody the very best of what we love about living here in our corner of the world.

OPINION PIECE