Ideas to move forward
Not ever in my 30 something years on Harden Shire Council did I ever see a budget as poorly considered and prepared and as cynical as the Hilltops 17/18 offering. Ridiculous is an understatement. Apparently it was prepared by the 18 so-called advisers and put together by Wendy Tuckerman and Anthony McGrath. It shows a complete lack of any business sense.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
1. The financial report, such as it is, shows an operating loss of $4.7 million for the new council to deal with once elected.
2. Rural activities account for about 85 per cent of the income into Harden Shire and I guess about the same for Boorowa with Young not too far behind but in the entire report agriculture gets two sentences out of a 117 pages and no funding whatsoever.
3. I note a chart showing that employee costs account for 54 per cent of total income and borrowing costs another 37 per cent. No wonder there is a $4.7 million black hole.
4. The NSW government made $15 million available to Hilltops following the forced amalgamation. So far about 1.3 million has been frittered away on photo opportunities. Of the remainder, 57 per cent is to go to Young with Harden and Boorowa getting about 21 per cent each.
5. Whilst it might seem that I'm making the figures up, they are actually from the report. The turn styles at the Young pool are to be upgraded at a cost of $2 million. The Young library is also to receive $2 million, perhaps for a new heated library. Murrumboola creek is allocated 1.1 million for beautification. Boorowa gets $1 million for their ovals. The stated purpose of the grants is for the money to be spent on infrastructure that will assist businesses and employment. I am still trying to work out how $2 million turn styles can pay for themselves.
As Ms Tuckerman and her advisers are clearly short on ideas I will give them a few and it only took me about 10 minutes to find them.
1. Move the Harden tennis courts perhaps to the Country Club, relocate the Senior Citizens club, that is clear the block excepting the service station which would allow either the present servo to expand and incorporate better access and more amenities and services or alternately a total rebuild. I am sure Peter Joseph would love it.
2. Create a commercial/light industrial “park” at the racecourse or thereabouts, say 20 or so acres, move the present Harden Shire workshop and plant parking onto it, prepare a site for the new Rural Fire service headquarters which could then utilise the landing strip and I am reliably informed that at least two major transport companies are interested in having a major parking/driver interchange.
3. The money allocated to Murrumboola creek would be better spent on purchasing the Lyceum theatre block through to the lane and removing the unsightly buildings thereafter calling for expressions of interest to develop the site.
I believe there is a need in Harden for new comfortable inexpensive units, perhaps serviced for short stays, or available for retirees who would like to downsize and be closer to the shops and so on. The present tenants of the block should have the opportunity of new premises or being relocated. Alternately, any excess area could be made into a lovely small park.
4. $1 million or thereabouts has been allocated to sporting ovals. This money could be used for the tennis court relocation and the balance on Roberts Park.
The above would create a lot of short term and permanent employment which is badly needed in this area.
Finally, it is now almost 12 months since Hilltops blocked the proposed piggery and I am assured that the planning department is putting major obstacles in the path of a further two duck farms which would lead to an abattoir being built.
As I said at the outset, my list took about 10 minutes to compile so I am sure there are many other worthwhile ideas out there.