Financial management

When I announced my intention to stand for Council the first question asked was "Where do you stand on the Cumberoona?"

It's definitely an important question but I think there are lots of others that rank up there or even higher.  I've been having a think about the City's finances and the way they are going at the moment and I have a few comments and questions that I have set out. 

Have a read and get back to me if you want to ask me anything about this or other matters that concern you.

Financial management

Albury ratepayers were hit with a 6.9% rate increase this year and we are told that we will see similar increases for the next few years.  It is necessary, so we are told to, pay for new infrastructure and to maintain old infrastructure.  There are also various projects that Council would like to do.  So how do we prioritise projects and maintain the city while minimising rate increases?

The present situation

Each year the Department of Local Government publishes comparative reports in which similar Councils are compared in a number of areas.  Albury Council is grouped with 32 other councils of similar size including Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Griffith.

The latest report available for 2009/10 shows that Albury had the 3^rd highest rates in all categories (residential, rural and business), the 4^th highest in number of equivalent full-time staff (and this is still rising).  Clearly there must be opportunities for savings and we must look keenly at wherever we can cut costs.

Currently Council has $3 million worth of investments that are yielding 0% and there is a likelihood that the capital value on maturity will be less than the original investment!  On a conservative estimate these investments should be yielding almost $200,000 per annum.  That would pay for quite a few services!

Do you know that there are currently 89 active credit cards utilised within Council (that’s about 1 per 5 employees) with a total spend of $53,000 per month and an average of $800 per employee.  In the 3 years from April 2009 to June 2012 the number of cards increased from 73 to 89.  Credit charges can be authorised by employees right down to Supervisor level.  Does this seem a good way to run a business to you?  It might be but I would like to have more information.

What to do?

In setting next year’s budget, each operating area should be asked to find savings of 5% and 10% and detail how such savings would impact on operations.  Councillors have the responsibility to lead and to provide strategy to guide the Council.  Each Councillor, through the General Manager must seek more detail in all financial matters so that ratepayers are given the best value for money and wastage is reduced or eliminated

David Thurley

Sustainability

“Albury – Our Future”: a community sustainability strategy

Where are we up to?

It would seem that here we have another study/community strategy which is going nowhere fast while costing the ratepayers significant amounts of money.  It’s definitely a worthwhile thing to do to prepare the city for the future but what has been achieved?

As far back as July 1993 we had a report “Sustainability – Our Future in Balance.  Actions for Albury – Wodonga” prepared by R Thwaites for the Albury Wodonga Region Planning Advisory Committee.  Albury Council had a representative on the Committee.

In late 2008, Albury City set up eight Community of Practice Teams (COP)and 16 members of the public gave considerable amounts of their time to be part of the teams to look at the issues and provide feedback to Council on sustainability.  By early 2010, Council had undertaken a review of the work done by the COPs and decided that they would be disbanded and another approach taken.

Alistair Buchan, who had been Council’s Sustainability Officer, left and Council established a dedicated Sustainability and Environment Team headed by Matthew Dudley.  An advisory committee was formed and this was headed by Councillors Angus and Betteridge.

By the end of 2011 the draft sustainability strategy went on public display and 3 community forums were held.  Council’s own documentation states “ This report is to be placed on AlburyCity website up until the release of the final Albury – Our Future over the ensuing weeks.  To that end AlburyCity will use the guidance of the committee to finalise Albury – Our Future for consideration by Council at its next meeting.  The final strategy will be placed on the AlburyCity website early 2012”.

It seems that the committee has not met since September 2011 and the strategy has not been finalised as at July 2012.  So what are we getting for our money?  Lots of words but not much action!

What are the issues regarding sustainability and our city?

The three most important are water, energy and waste.

The draft strategy makes some claims that water usage has dropped but it does not take into account water restrictions or annual rainfall.  Obviously when restrictions are in force or there has been high summer rainfall, water use will fall because most water is used for garden watering.  To be sustainable, and to allow for some population growth, average consumption must fall but it must come about as a result of people changing what they do.  The Council must encourage people to change their habits by planting more water friendly gardens for example using native species with low water requirements.  Council could set an example by using native species as opposed to exotics as much as possible.  Lawns are huge users of water and we need to minimise the areas of our gardens planted to lawn. 

Council could use the water bills to educate ratepayers by giving examples of typical water consumption for various household types and garden sizes.  The price should be more sensitive to the amount used and should rise steeply once a certain amount of water has been used.

In November 2006 the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, consisting of Federal, State and Territory Water Ministers, endorsed a set of National Guidelines for Residential Customers’ Water Accounts.  The model accounts provide comparative information to show how a consumer compares to others.  They would be a strong educational tool when trying to get people to change their habits.

Water tanks have become popular but one frequently sees a house with a very large roof area and a small tank that would not be able to store sufficient water to cope with a moderate storm event.  The NSW Government Basix guidelines need to be upgraded in line with performance and achievement to date.  Albury Council should lobby hard to have changes made to State legislation if it is not achieving the things the city believes are needed.

Energy consumption has continued to rise in Albury and the costs to Council and ratepayers is increasing rapidly with large rises in electricity prices.  Modification of things such as street lighting should be examined to see how much Council can save.  For ratepayers, good house design and energy saving measures are essential.  The Basix concept is good but more can be done and Council must encourage the use of photovoltaic cells.

Waste generation is critical and higher charges are already impacting on ratepayers.  We need to focus on the 3 Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle.  So far we have focussed mostly on the recycle option but this is the last step in the process.  Firstly we should educate consumers to buy goods with less packaging and to avoid plastic bags.  Then we should reuse packaging as much as possible  before we finally recycle it.  The process of recycling uses a significant amount of energy with transport and processing of the materials.  Household composting is the best way to recycle organic materials.  A council scheme is definitely second best.

How can I help on Council?

I am a science graduate and have worked in water and wastewater treatment for many years.  I ran a successful consulting company specialising in environmental matters with training and dangerous goods as other parts of the business.

As a consultant I worked in Canada, Greece, France, Brazil and Malaysia advising companies and training staff.  I was responsible for obtaining environmental approval for a French company to build a factory near Lara in Victoria to produce chemicals necessary for the treatment of sewerage and industrial wastewater. 

What a fiasco!

The Council meeting last night was a fiasco especially when it came to the Caltex Union Road development application.  Whatever the merits or otherwise of the proposed 24 hour unmanned diesel refuelling station, the process was a farce.

Caltex lodged the development application almost one year ago and have modifiied their proposal to take into account many of the issues raised by Councillors and staff but last night the process was delayed again to "seek more information".  Like how many bowsers (the answer is 4 and it is in the original application) and the hours of operation (the answer is 24 and it is in the original application), etc, etc.

When Council staff indicated that Caltex could now proceed to the Land and Environment Court Caltex were accused of being bullies. Under section 105 (1) (a) of the Local Government Act 1993 "Approval is taken to be refused; If the Council has not determined the application within the period of 40 days after the application is lodged".  Whatever you think, Caltex has waited approximately 300 days and is being asked to give information that is already known.

The process will now be delayed again as 3 Councillors gave notice of a motion to rescind the motion that would have approved the development.  See you in court and have the cheque book out Albury City.

It seems to me that all of these questions and issues should have been asked and discussed a long time ago.  Many cynics writing to the paper seem to think there must be an election coming up!  I wonder why?

About the Thurley team

Dear Resident of Albury.

My name is David Thurley and I am standing as a candidate for Albury Council in the local government elections to be held on Saturday September 8th 2012.

Being a Councillor is a huge responsibility. Making decisions in the best interest of the community for now and the future comes with hard work, criticism and perhaps disappointment. It would be naive to think that one can please everyone.

With factual information, research, community input, robust debate and an open mind, I will be a Councillor who is approachable, methodical, a good listener, respectful and reasonable with the information before me. I seek to question and challenge and represent YOU. As a ratepayer myself, I have been at various times both disappointed and pleased with some of the decisions of Council.

I believe that Council needs to be even more open and transparent ensuring that ratepayers are consulted and fully understand the process and reasoning behind decisions, which are sometimes against the wishes of the community. The removal of mature elm trees around the CBD recently has been very topical and just one example.

It is paramount that the community feel confident to express their views without fear of insult and that their views are heard. It is important when commenting or suggesting ideas that these valid ideas are sent directly to the Councillors and Council staff and not only as a letter to The Editor.

There are many issues confronting Albury City including;

·         Good financial management as we face the challenge of rising costs

·         The sustainability of our city especially in the areas of water and energy usage, waste generation and recycling

·         The heritage values of the buildings and streetscapes of Albury

·         Promotion of the city as a favoured destination for tourists

·         The management of Albury's parks and gardens including Wonga wetlands

I have formed a group to assist me in my campaign to be elected as a Councillor. Their experience, advice and ideas will help me to better understand the issues facing our City.

During the past few years my community involvement has included

·         President of the Management Committee of Age Concern

·         President of the Astronomical Society of Albury Wodonga

·         Volunteer for St Vincent de Paul and the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga for the Humanitarian Refugee Settlement Scheme

·         President of Hume Public School Parents and Citizens Group for many years.

I ask you to consider voting for me by Voting 1 in the group voting square above the line OR by voting  1 -9 below the line, placing number 1 in the square next to my name, then 2,3,4 and 5 for the rest of my team, then 6-9 for your other preferred candidates.

Look out for my “How to Vote’ flyer on Election day.

If you have any questions or comments, please give me a call on 02 6040 3704 (see other contact details below).

About Me

I am a retired Chemical Engineer and have worked for a major international company and for many years was a director of my own consulting company specialising in environmental matters. I have worked in several countries and I understand the problems facing businesses large and small as well as the concerns of individual ratepayers. I have lived in Albury since 1980 and have worked extensively in the field of environmental planning and have prepared environmental impact assessments for various developments in Victoria and NSW.

My wife Sue and I have 7 adult children. I am an amateur astronomer, a keen cyclist and work with local schools to teach science. Sue and I are assisting a Bhutanese family to settle in Albury and Sue cares for a number of Legacy widows. We are passionate about our community and I would like to work for you in Council.

About the team

Ordette Mannering        Ordette was born and raised in Albury, and spent many years living in Sydney and Europe before returning to the area 12 years ago. She stood for election with Paul Wareham in 2008 as his number 2 candidate. Since then she has remained interested and active about local issues. She is married to Paul Haberecht and they own and operate SMART Hospitality.

Celia Saw            Celia has lived in the area for 30 years, is a former Hume Shire Councillor and served as President of the NSW Local Government Women’s Association. She has been President of Age Concern. Before retiring she was Senior Lecturer at Charles Sturt University responsible for courses in gerontology and currently serves on advisory committees at the University. She is a member of Friends of Wonga Wetlands

Vic Whitten        Vic’s community involvement included being the recipient of a Rotary Youth Leadership Award while heavily involved with scouting. Vic is a qualified fitter/machinist and Production Engineer and has lived in Albury since 1990. Since living here Vic has spent 13 years working at B.T.R./DSI and is now running his own company which services the building industry.

Ken Goff`             Ken has lived in Albury since 1974. He commenced his own business in 1978 and has operated from the current premises in David Street (Kentool Industrial) since 1983. Ken was a National Serviceman and Vietnam Veteran, a Life Member of the Albury Apex Club and a founding member of the Upper Murray Steamship Company (Cumberoona). Ken also served on the St Patrick's Parish School Board and on the Albury Football Club Board.

Respect & Reason

Mobile 0418 690 142   Land-line 6040 3704   Fax 6023 3336  Email dsthurl@bigpond.net.au  

Blog www.thurleyforcouncil.blogspot.com.au 

Twitter @Thurl1947          

Find me on Facebook - David Thurley

Authorised by David Thurley PO Box 312 Lavington.

Cycling in Albury

Albury is blessed with a “Mediterranean – type” climate and is an ideal place for cycling.  This is shown by the rates of cycling in Albury being significantly higher than the NSW average.  We are also fortunate that the Council has a dedicated plan looking at cycling in the city and future increases in the amount of dedicated bike lanes and trails and parking and storage facilities.

On the downside we also have a higher than average “crash” rate caused by a number of factors.  Council has considered many of the factors and their analysis has guided them with cycle planning in the city.  The Albury Bicycle Plan 2009 – 2014 is due for review in 2013 and this will give cyclists a great opportunity to have a direct input into the future of cycling here.

What things need to be done?

The Bike Plan envisages a continuing increase in off-road bike paths as well as an increase in dedicated bike lanes on existing roads.  The Council has been progressing steadily with the construction of paths and the path to the east towards Hume Dam is slowly progressing.  The Wagiarra trail linking Mungabareena and Wonga wetlands provides an opportunity for a path along a very scenic route.

Bike paths also provide a great opportunity for regional councils to work together to integrate the various paths and provide a unique cycling experience in the area.  Cycling should be used as a drawcard to attract tourists to the area if the cycling experience can be linked to the other attractions we have.

Safety

Safety rates highly in the Bike Plan and we must continue to focus on this.  Good signage is critical to warn motorists and cyclists of potential hazards associated with shared use of roads and paths.  Maintenance of road shoulders is very important and cyclist’s needs must always be considered in the design of facilities and “traffic – calming” devices.  The use of “pinch points” at a school crossing in Thurgoona is a good example of where the position of cyclists was not considered.

About me

I am 65 years of age and am a regular cyclist for both recreation and commuting.  I have competed in 5 Around the Bay rides and will do my 6^th in October this year raising money for The Smith Family.  I have ridden in the Great Victorian Bike Ride and Bike SA’s Annual Tour.  I am frequently out on the roads training.  When I first moved to Albury in 1980 I was inspired by the sight of Dr Allan Hogan grinding his way up the Jindera Gap and now Ioften grind my way up the same hill on training rides.  From my home in Glenroy I use my second bike for small shopping trips at Lavington and business in Albury.

I am keen to support the development of further cycling infrastructure and if elected to Council would also lobby for joint action with Wodonga Council to establish an integrated area cycling network.

Albury 2030 plan and higher rates

We read in the Border today that higher rates are here to stay based on community feedback to the Councils' 2030 plan.  Apparently the community's feedback to the 2030 plan has given the Council a mandate to move forward.  I guess that means that we approve of what they are doing and are quite happy to pay for it all.

Of course people want things (who doesn't?) but we should always ask the supplementary question.  How much are you prepared to pay for it?  Then we might get different feedback.

Why not set a budget in which some of these big projects are clearly costed for the community so that they can see the impact on their rates when they choose certain projects.  Then we might get some clearer view of how much the community wants these things rather than just the motherhood statements that come when you ask questions in the following form:

Would you like to save the Uiver?
Would you like to save the Cumberoona?
Would you like to save the old flour mill?
Would you like an upgrade of the art gallery? and so on.

All of these might be admirable projects but can we afford them and are we prepared to pay by way of higher rates.  Are there ways we can save money so that we can have some of these things or are there other funding avenues?

As I am intending to stand for Council in September I would appreciate any feedback you might have to my comments here.