By Mark Rodriquez and Diet Simon
Runs 29”
Councillor Debbie Blumel:
“I’m seeking to rescind the motion by Council recently and restore the 10% discount for people who pay their rates bill early or on time.”
MayorBob Abbott:
“We’ve got to try and find 25 million dollars worth of savings in this budget to try and keep the rate rise down.”
Council is halving the rates discount, Debbie Blummel wants the full 10% back. Bob Abbot saying Council needs to find big savings. Our main story on What’s Going On?
on 18 May 2010. We also talked about
- moves to do away with division councillors
- anger from Friends of Noosa over the Bligh government’s failing to deliver 13 million dollars it promised for amalgamation
- insecurity over the state remaining mum on what it plans to do with the Mary Valley land it bought for the Traveston dam
- politicians and others riding the school bus route along the Kin Kin-Pomona Road to see how deadly it will become with Nielsen’s trucking from the huge quarry. George Street wants
- and an intellectual jack-of-all-trades challenging Warren Truss for the Wide Bay seat.
Fury over discount cut
As usual there was plenty of comment, which was ours or that of the people talking to us, not necessarily that of Noosa Community Radio.
Diet: If you’re a ratepayer, I’ll bet you were furious when you learnt that the 10% discount we used to get for paying our rates is going to be halved to five per cent. I was, and so were people living in Division 8 the area Councillor Debbie Blumel looks after:
“An additional increase on rates”
Runs 35”
“Cut saves us $8.9 million a year”
Mayor Bob Abbot pleads that Council needs to save 25 million dollars and that halving the rate discount is a big step to that goal:
Runs 45”
Rescinding procedure
Debbie Blumel contends that the night council decided to halve the discount at the special budget meeting on 22nd April (see page 7) two councillors were absent, which made it a tight vote. She thinks she can get the 10% back in a re-run.
Runs 1’21”
Mayor agrees on business aims
In a media release Cr Blumel said halving the rates discount is only about smoke and mirrors.
Runs 1’38”
“Government hates Noosa in particular”
The George Street bullies promised thirteen million dollars to compensate for amalgamation costs, but they’ve reneged. That’s infuriated the Friends of Noosa, who want our old shire back. Commentary from their leader, Bob Ansett.
Runs 2’16”
MP Wellington and most councillors oppose scrapping council divisions
Bob Abbot say he’s still paying off the 160 thousand dollars his campaign to become mayor cost him. He holds it up as a warning example for ordinary punters who might want to run for local office if legislation is made to do away with divisions – or wards as we used to call them – and switch over to all-of-shire voting. Pricing ordinary people out of having a go and opening the door to party politics in councils is also the main concern of Independent Member for Nicklin in the state parliament,
Peter Wellington. Nambour -based Wellington, a former councillor, is worried that an all-party parliamentary committee reviewing local government, might scrap divisions in council areas.
Runs 4’00”
“Extremely difficult to get elected”
And Bob Abbott’s views on the issue:
Runs 4’00”
“Coast wants divisional representation”
We also received emailed comments from some of the other councillors. 101.3 volunteers lent them their voices.
Jenny McKay, Division 5, urges MPs to take the issue seriously and support Peter Wellington in sending a clear message to the state government that the residents of the Sunshine Coast wish divisional representation.
Runs 35”
“Get rid of state electorates”
Lew Brennan, Division 12, wrote that Peter Wellington and other state members are hypocrites.
Runs 1’22”
“I love working for the communities and for regional goals”
Debbie Blumel, Division 8, has no preference either way.
Runs 1’03”
“What a stupid idea!!!”
“What a stupid idea!!!” wrote Paul Tatton, Division 10, and went on:
Runs 1’03”
“Government are just ticking boxes”
Christian Dickson, Division 6, also wants the state government to stay out of this.
Runs 49”
Mary Valley community would fight forestry monocultures
Only 40 out of 400 landholders who sold up because of the Traveston Dam plan have indicated they want to buy the land back. George Street has set a deadline for the end of this month on expressions of interests. That’s causing concern in the valley, as we heard from Glenda Pickersgill, who led the resistance to the dam:
Runs 4’25”
Bus ride to show Kin Kin beauty and quarry dangers
On Saturday the people fighting the expansion of the Kin Kin quarry want concerned community members to attend a function to draw attention to their issue and raise money for legal action. A BBQ will start at 10 am at the property of a landholder overlooking the quarry. To it will come invited guests who’ve ridden on the normal school bus along the narrow, hairpin Kin Kin to Pomona Road, such as local MPs, emergency services and media, to learn about the danger to everyone using the road of frequent 40-tonne-trucks soon to run from the quarry. Robyn Jones previewed the day:
Runs 6’32” If you want to know more, call Robyn Jones on 5485 4326.
Intellectual jack-of-all-trades standing for Wide Bay Greens
Jim McDonald
Sometime this year there’s going to be a national election, and those chasing seats in Canberra are throwing their hats in the ring. Most of our audience probably live in the electorate of Wide Bay, which covers Weyba Downs and Peregian Beach in the southeast, Fraser Island in the northeast, from Booubyjan in the northwest to the township of Cherbourg in the southwest and Bella Creek in the south. Since March 1990 – that’s 20 years – the seat has been held by Warren Truss, leader of The Nationals, who held various ministries in the Howard government for 10 years. You’d be forgiven for thinking Warren owns Wide Bay. Enter David to challenge Goliath: Greens candidate, Jim McDonald, who’s started stomping the electorate. At a recent little gathering here in The J, next door to us, he put his case for more funding of the arts in the regions – that’s us, for example. That, of course, is not the former union official, teacher and jack of a few more trades’ only platform. I asked him why he was emphasising the arts.
Runs 7’05”
“What’s Going On?” is about to spread its wings!
Starting in June, we’re spreading our local coverage to you through a selection of six to eleven different programs, mostly in the mornings. You won’t have to wait a week for your updates. This was our 2nd last one-hour program of What’s Going On?, but we’re not going away. We’re getting closer. Stay tuned for more opportunities to catch up with What’s Going On?
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