FLASHBACK: road repairs at Hodges Dip Road … Road Levy funds will be used to carry out similar projects until Federal and State road grants are restored (Photo: Westec Civil)

April 2, 2014

The South Burnett Regional Council’s $200-per-property Road Levy will stay in place for another year.

Mayor Wayne Kratzmann told southburnett.com.au today the Road Levy will continue for the 2014-15 Budget, even though he knew it was unpopular.

He said the need to maintain the region’s 6000km road network meant it could not be removed until the State and Federal Governments restored the $1.4 million of road funding they’d taken from the Council in 2012.

“It’s this simple: we can’t maintain our road network without proper funding,” he said.

“But until the government fund our roads properly, we don’t have any other choice.”

The Mayor said ratepayers could replace him and all the other Councillors with a new team at the next election in 2016 if they wanted to, but he was certain anyone who took over would come to the same conclusion.

“The numbers have to balance. Councils are obliged by law to balance their books – and the only two other ways to do it are to close down services like libraries, swimming pools, halls and all the other things that affect our quality of life; or leave our roads in bad shape.

“Those are the choices we’re faced with.”

The Mayor said one of the problems that had emerged since the introduction of the Road Levy last July was that many residents expected their roads would be maintained quickly.

But with only three road maintenance crews to cover the Shire, this hadn’t been possible.

Some residents had to wait many months to have their roads attended to; others are still waiting for Council road maintenance crews.

“We’ve had to tackle the roads with the highest traffic volumes and the worst problems first, and now we’re working our way down the scale,” he said.

“But we’ve learned a lot from doing this, and after our Budget planning is out of the way we’ll be looking at a new way to tackle road maintenance work in future.”

The Mayor said one idea on the table was to classify roads into priority types.

Heavily trafficked arterial roads would be top priority; feeder roads a secondary priority; and minor roads would be a lower priority.

“When I lived in Kingaroy I used to travel over 13 different roads to get to my office,” the Mayor said.

“I started off on a small suburban street and moved along roads that got larger and busier the closer I got to my office in Glendon Street.

“I think most people are like that.

“And if you have to drive over a small section close to home that’s not in top shape but find that most of the other roads on your trip are a lot better, that’s tolerable. It’s not ideal, but it’s tolerable until a maintenance crew shows up.

“So that’s one idea we’ll be looking at.”


 

4 Responses to "Road Levy Here For Another Year"

  1. Great to see Kratzie has become the master of spin. He had decided the $200 levy would stay two weeks after it was first introduced in 2013. He said he discovered it was the easiest way the council could make money!! Must be time for another massive protest – and then kick them out of office.

  2. It’s not just the road levy alone but the unprecedented increases in council rates and charges forced on the people of this shire. The road levy despised by most ratepayers is but a focal point of frustration with council perception of affordability and service delivery. The interests of ratepayers are not served when perceived minority interests are central to the decision making of this council and allocation of funding.

    Distribution of resources and its non-return in productive endeavours within people’s own communities is a breach of public confidence and trust in council’s ability to act in their interests.

    Amalgamation has served to concentrate suspicions of funding misdirection and usage to advantage by minority interests throughout the shire.

    Council endorsement of business community interests ahead of public infrastructure as well as centralisation and downgrading of services across the region adds to this perception.

    The ability of future councilors to nullify this perception and build on community strengths will be a challenging endeavour for the next generation.

    Affordability, livability, transparency and the public perception of these principles is the hallmark of good governments, sadly lacking in today’s council.

  3. What a surprise, just in time for the next council elections. But wait! What about the new wheely bin charges? There’s been no mention of them YET. Phew! I must be getting cynical in my old age or able to smell a rat or double cross…

    No road levy in exchange for bin charges. oh, and of course, charges for the sewerage improvements yet to be applied plus – if my memory serves me right – council didn’t consult the community about rates being quarterly. This is just another smoke-and-mirrors exercise by the council.

  4. Council “repaired”/”upgraded” a few sections of our road just before the rain last week. Obviously the contractors had no idea how to form a road properly. Instead of road base or gravel, they topped it with clay and did not put in any drainage. Result? Several trucks were bogged on Thursday during the rain and had to be dragged out by local farmers’ tractors.

    Then on Saturday morning, the crew returned and “fixed” the mess. Sure – if it rains 5mm we will be back in the same predicament as last week.

    The Council needs to get the work done properly and supervise the work and not pay contractors for this kind of shoddy work. If the work was done properly in the first place, we wouldn’t need a road levy.

    Time to get rid of this incompetent mob – bring on the next election!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.