Letters

Stop this nonsense

At the public meeting last Wednesday 24th we were given background information “Building a Road To Sustainability”. In the message from the mayor Richie Williamson and the general manager Scott Greensill, they stated that in 2012 they introduced the “Strategic Organisation Action Plan” to make sure that spending was well focused and appropriate. This is just total bulldust. Not 3 years ago, but 5 years ago costs were out stripping income, the action plan is a dead dog. The mayor and senior staff have had 5 years to take action. The message goes on to say that savings are to be made in the 24 discretionary services or increase your rates by 47% well no; just more bulldust, they did not give you the total cost of 47% just the first year’s figures. Why Richie/Scott? Is the mayor and the general manager serious in only looking at the 24 discretionary services, are they happy with councils budget over runs on projects like the Townsend works depot or the $190,000 consultants fees on McLachlan Park? Would you give the current team $17 million to amalgamate the Grafton works depots given the recent history of huge cost blowouts? Stop this nonsense of internal productivity reports and have a thorough external public report by a national accountancy company. John Riggall, Maclean