No meet ‘not our fault’
The Wombat Hotel Social Group would like to express our disappointment regarding the cancellation of this year's Wombat Swap Meet.
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Unfortunately due to the privatisation (trademarking) of the Wombat Swap Meet, which was done without the knowledge or permission of the Wombat Hotel Social Group, a decision was made to withdraw support for the event.
This hard decision was made, as the event was no longer being run to solely benefit the broader Wombat community and the Wombat Hotel Social Group did not wish to breach any trademarks.
The decision to cancel this year's Wombat Swap Meet was made by the private organisers of this year's event.
It was not at the hands of the Wombat Hotel Social Group, Wombat Progress Association or the Hilltops Shire Council its administrator and general manager.
Unfortunately, the community of Wombat and surrounding areas are the ones that missed out.
The community of Wombat suffered as the event was a very successful fundraiser for the community.
We hope to be able to come to some resolution between all parties to bring this great event back to benefit the community in the near future.
Wombat Hotel Social Group
‘Series of half-truths’
Ms Tuckerman's recent letter is nothing more than a series of half truths aimed at hiding the real situation with Hilltops Council.
Council did hold what passed for consultative meetings, afterthoughts I would call them, as they were held after the financial report including the forward plan was prepared, they were too late to be considered for inclusion. Accordingly, the ridiculous forward plan was prepared with no input other than that of Ms Tuckerman and whomever she deigned to listen to in the “consultative committee”.
Apparently Brian Ingram and others did raise concerns and objections to the plans when they were being prepared but were ignored. Under these circumstances he is certainly entitled to speak out, however, Ms Tuckerman used her authority by sacking him and is now seeking to justify her actions solely on the basis that he undertook to jump every time she beckoned, totally ignoring our constitutional right to free speech. I am sure that Brian did not realise the full implications of signing the terms of reference. She should see what happens in the real financial world and ignore the sheltered workshop.
Furthermore, it was Ms Tuckerman who set Anthony McMahon's salary not the independent body and she did so at a level way above other councils with a budget three times as large and having general managers with years of experience which Anthony McMahon did not have. Why?
The half truths really come to the surface in her explanation of the so-called draft budget when she says that cash profits and losses should be ignored as if you do so council will have $13.6 million (she carefully avoids the word available) over the next two years whereas the draft budget for next year, which I presume is accurate, shows a deficit of $4.7 million as the correct position.
Ms Tuckerman's assurance that former Harden Shire residents will not have increased rates when rates are equalised across the three shires has less validity than Baird and Toole’s promise that there would be no forced amalgamations. Equalisation of rates is the dark hidden secret supposedly to appear in about two years despite Ms Tuckerman's assurance to the contrary. As we saw with forced amalgamations any government at any time can simply enact a regulation making the change. Not a very sensible statement by the administrator, perhaps visions of being the next Local Government Minister clouded her judgement.