Barry Spry on Fit for the Future recommendations to merge Walcha and Tamworth councils:
Barry Spry has been a Walcha resident for 53 years, passed three terms on Walcha Council, is the Chairman of the Local Hospital Board and regional hospital board based at Tamworth and the current chair of community management committee for Walcha Multi Purpose Centre.
"I have dramatically condensed a much fuller written presentation in view of the time constraints here today.
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That presentation demonstrates that the specific proposal to amalgamate Walcha and Tamworth is particularly flawed, unfair, uneconomic, and unproductive.
Other councils that made no nominations in defiance of the dictates have so far been ignored while Walcha who did the right thing have not been allowed to withdraw an undesired forced option.
- Barry Spry, Walcha resident
IT IS FLAWED because….
1. The Fit for the Future Criteria are basically meant to assess whether a council has provided and can continue to provide the services its ratepayers and residents need economically, efficiently and effectively.
Walcha met every criteria in providing services on a comparative value for money basis producing better results than most other councils in the State - big and small.
However - a further rule was introduced stating that the criteria could not be met unless the Council had an arbitrary level of population - which Walcha did not.
So although we met the criteria with our present population, we face an arbitrary ruling that we cannot meet the criteria with that population.
Hullo? This is such a blatant contradiction I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
2. Further, the report suggests that Walcha's declining population creates future problems - if the authors had bothered to check the census then they would have seen that the population in the latest census 2011 was almost precisely the same as 1996 and 2001, probably because council's long term locally driven initiatives in promoting tourism as a replacement industry have succeeded.
3. Population is further devalued as a measure because Councils main revenue source is based on rateable property - if our population doubled tonight the rate revenue would remain the same.
The proposal is UNFAIR because…..
1.We were required to make un unwanted third choice under conditions that amounted to blackmail or bribe - if you agree to amalgamate you receive extra funding, if you don't you will be forcibly amalgamated without funding.
Other councils that made no nominations in defiance of the dictates have so far been ignored while Walcha who did the right thing have not been allowed to withdraw an undesired forced option.
2. Councils have been constrained under pain of dismissal from spending council resources on promoting any anti amalgamation argument while the office of Local Government has indulged in a costly newspaper and TV advertising campaign. These advertisements contain general statements about the benefits and economics of amalgamations that in the local context of Walcha /Tamworth are at best dubious and at worst deceptive.
The proposal is UNECONOMIC because….
The economies of scale touted as arising from administrative amalgamation have already been largely realised in recent years through a cooperative and coordinated approach, to the extent that in the year AFTER the IPART figures were calculated Walcha recorded a surplus of $1.2 million and currently is on track for an even better result.
Further savings are tiny - and would be swamped by the additional costs of remote management and by the necessary replacement of local voluntary service by paid professionals.
The proposal is UNPRODUCTIVE because….
Walcha Council successfully services a huge area - over 6000 square kilometres. If the amalgamation proceeded Tamworth would face an increase in service area of 62% with a population increase of 5.2%.
Neither the Council nor the ratepayers of an enlarged Region would appreciate the immense distraction and costs that such a geographically and climatically different and difficult area would present.
I would estimate that here and outside there are more than 500 people. Many more would be here if the venue was larger and the time more appropriate. The vast majority of the Walcha population know that the proposed amalgamation will result in transfer of many jobs and families, diminished services or increased costs or both. They believe that cutting out the administrative heart of Walcha will reverse our success and set us on the path to decline that has occurred in other small communities. This is not rent-a -crowd, these are people who know and love this place who choose to work, live, and make their lives in Walcha.
How is it possible for a Boundaries Review Committee who do not live, work and make their life here, to say to these people - you are wrong - we are right. You don't understand, we do. An amalgamation would be good for you.
Ms Chadwick there are sufficient flaws in this proposal for you to recommend at least a further review and hopefully a total dismissal of this proposed amalgamation.
When you leave here for the Tamworth meeting please take a quick detour across the two bridges and through the town to get a personal appreciation of why are so proud..