Utilities news
Mega-Councils Would Place Local Services At Risk
Recent comments from the Minister for Roads and Minister for Western Sydney, David Borger MP, have shown that the issue of council amalgamations has not gone away in NSW.
An amalgamation of local councils across Greater Sydney, however, would place services at risk and deprive local communities of the right to manage their own affairs.
The constant push for efficiency gains in local government comes at the expense of democracy. Experience has shown that local councils are often the most responsive to the needs of their constituents.
Local communities risk losing both their identity and their voice by being forced to merge in with bigger neighbouring councils.
The structure of local government in NSW allows communities to make decisions about their own local priorities and about the services which are most important to them.
Local communities value services such as regular rubbish removal, access to libraries and parks for their children.
Monolithic councils, on the other hand, provide a bland ‘lowest common denominator’ service across the areas they represent.
The best way State Government can assist local government is to stop cost-shifting responsibilities onto councils.
Councils are already stretched and have been picking up more of the ‘heavy lifting’ from State Government in regards to road maintenance, child care, law and order, and health services – but have not been able to increase their rates to match these responsibilities.
The Minister’s comments have sounded the warning bells for local councils around NSW.
I’ve since been advised by the Premier that the ALP will not force amalgamations onto any local councils, and the Coalition has also reaffirmed its commitment to ‘no forced amalgamations’.
Despite these promises, voters will need to be on-guard after the election to make sure politicians are kept to their word; the USU will be doing playing its role to ensure that local services are protected and that both parties are held accountable.
Graeme Kelly is General Secretary of the United Services Union (USU).
Our Water, Not For Sale
At the end of last year I wrote to Barry O’Farrell asking him whether he would categorically rule out the full or part privatisation of Sydney Water and Hunter Water Corporations and Hunter Water Australia.
He said he supported private sector involvement in the delivery of public services where it is in the public interest.
He would not rule out selling off water.
As the election approaches it is vital that we work together to keep water in public hands.
We must all send a strong message to politicians that our water is NOT FOR SALE.
Think Labor’s on your side? There’s no guarantee.
I used to think that having a Labor government meant our jobs were safe. I’ve been working as a power network maintainer for 12 years and I’ve seen first hand the deterioration of NSW public services under Labor.
Not only have workplace conditions and safety suffered but the threat of privatisation still looms over our heads. Being in the public sector used to mean having your job for life. It used to mean you knew where you stood. But where do we stand now?
Keep Power in our Hands
Despite an overwhelming majority of consumers wanting essential services like electricity to remain in public hands, the NSW Government is still trying to privatise the NSW power industry. Premier Rees intends to sell the retail arms of Energy Australia, Integral Energy and Country Energy along with their generation development sites.
Despite the original privatisation plan being rejected by voters and the NSW Parliament, Premier Rees still believes he can sell our electricity industry to make a quick buck.
Privatised water – it stinks
Through the Autumn of 1997, Adelaide residents were holding their noses. A nasty smell set in for three months to become known as Adelaide’s ‘big pong’.
It emerged the pong had been caused by a major breakdown at a major Adelaide sewage plant. The treatment lagoons were overflowing and the systems in place for breaking down the city’s raw sewage weren’t working.
Adelaide residents suffered nausea and respiratory problems. Businesses suffered as people stayed home.
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- Angry Punter on Mega-Councils Would Place Local Services At Risk
- Eddie Seymour on Our Water, Not For Sale
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