Riordan urges shire to move on from bike park

DEBATE about the details of the future use of Anglesea’s mine and power station continues, but the local Liberal MP believes the Surf Coast Shire has more important things to worry about.

Speaking at the Victorian Farmers Federation forum in Mount Moriac last week, Polwarth MP Richard Riordan – whose electorate includes Anglesea – said the “traditional rural farming community” across the region was “suffering big time in local government from these voting blocs of new people that have moved into the area that have a very different priority set”.

“We are seeing for example, in Surf Coast Shire, protecting a bike park on a coal-fired power plant is consuming more time and more resources than all your roads put together in the shire.”

He referred to a perception that the makeup of the council – in which Torquay Ward has the most seats (four out of nine) – leads to lesser outcomes for rural areas.

“That attitude will not change unless the good people in this room get behind councillors such as Heather (Cr Heather Wellington from Winchelsea Ward) and people who are prepared to speak out about those things.

“Because those four votes, no matter how often you complain or fill in that email form that the CEO wants you to fill in, it won’t matter; because the singing, dancing, YouTube-Facebook-Twitter group that now dominates some of these local governments will continue to consume the resources. That is the challenge that we have.

“You’re paying a fortune (in rates) and you’re not getting value for money, because the focus is not on what has traditionally kept our shires and local communities alive.”

Mr Riordan was not the only Liberal politician at the event – other representatives included Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson, South Barwon MP Andrew Katos and Member for Western Victoria Simon Ramsay.

The influx of elected officials was not missed by VFF president David Jochinke, who quipped that “it must be an election year”.

Colac Otway Shire mayor Joe McCracken and Golden Plains Shire councillors David Evans and Les Rowe were also at the forum.