Submission Details
Full Name:
Tim Carmichael
Business/Organisation (if applicable):
Date Submitted
2024-03-23 16:25:46
Fees and Charges
Do you agree with the proposed Fees and Charges for 2024/25?
No, I disagree - please explain?
Do you have any comments on this?
Option 2 should be adopted as first choice. Option 1 at a last resort. Surely there are suitably qualified employees within the council who can look at revenue streams, but also unnecessary expenses within the council operations. Ever increasing fees will not make a sustainable operation or business model. Look for efficiencies in the expense budgets. Are all the staff required and productive? Is printing documents and forms necessary? Are energy efficient appliances being used? Has someone looked at the IT costs in detail? So many things to look at with expenses. Scrutinise them all.
The services we provide
What do you think we should do?
Alternative option: Cut Council services to get the rates increase lower?
Any other comments on this?
Why do you need more people/staff? Are the current ones not performing to a high enough standard? Explore outsourcing options and support local businesses to operate services on behalf of the council. Works rather successfully in Australia and other places around the world.
Roading
What do you think we should do?
Alternative option: Keep roading renewals at the current level?
Any other comments on roading renewals:
You need to scrutinise why the costs are more for the same standard. Because I think the current standards are pretty low! Are we using the appropriate products for road surfacing? Is the process and technique the one that is the most appropriate for our district? I mean plenty of times I have seen a renewal project take weeks when I’ve seen in other districts or even in Australia - roading projects take FAR less time.
Town Centre infrastructure
What do you think we should do?
Proposed option: Prioritise maintenance and renewals and Pride of Place?
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