Council cancellation of regional theatre festival 'sends message'

Our council has recently voted to increase our rates and increase their own salaries, while reducing funds to developing regional arts and culture.

Our community is more than roads, water and sports. Our community includes our culture and the arts, both past and developing and should be encouraged. By council pulling the plug on FORT, they are sending a strong message that they don't care about developing our regional arts and culture!

If our regional council is not prepared to help to develop region talent, who will ensure our regional cities have a pathway for our families to the arts and culture? I feel sad for those theatre companies that have been working hard to recruit and develop talent to prepare for this year's event.

This is another reason to think clearly about your vote this coming council election!

In a sad day for residents of Goulburn, on Tuesday, June 18 our council voted five to three (with one absent) to approve a rates increase of 22.5 per cent for 2024-5.

Despite strong community opposition, despite petitions, submissions and rallies, despite a sobering report from IPART, the council still insisted that the rate rise is necessary due to a forecast deficit of some $15 million in 2024-5. It should be noted that [a] this figure is just for the General Fund - all other funds are in the black; and [b] this figure is before accounting for grants.

One would have hoped, in the face of concerns from their constituents, that all our councillors would have a change of heart. Unfortunately a majority did not, so the council has achieved a pyrrhic victory.

What a difficult choice - an estimated additional income of $5.4m courtesy of the special rate variation, but at what cost? The loss of constituents' confidence.

Interestingly, in a moment of exquisite irony, this took place on the same day as our NSW government released its budget for 2024-5. This state government budget included, among other initiatives, huge blocks of grant funding across identified areas of need, such as regional roads, council housing commitments, health, education, renewables and more.

The irony is that, if only the council had deferred its rate rise decision, as proposed by Cr Bob Kirk, then it may find that foregoing that additional income of $5.4m will be more than adequately compensated by state government grants. It was a lost opportunity for the council to regain the confidence of the community.

Perhaps the community can look ahead to council elections and be mindful of the lesson of King Pyrrhus - "they have won this battle, but they will lose the war".

I used to live in a house with a vacant block next door. It was good to have that extra bit of privacy and quiet. Then someone built a monstrous ugly house on it. The new owners loved it, but the rest of the street thought it ruined the streetscape.

When you buy a house you have no control over who builds next door, as long as they comply with the regulations.

Same with buying a rural block. The farmer next door might want to build a solar or wind farm because it safeguards his income from the vagaries of farming. They might even go for a transmission pylon or two that keeps the farm going with that extra income. Whatever.

As long as it complies with the regulations, the next door blocky has no more right to prohibit the development than we did when an ugly house was built next door. Some people might think a solar farm or transmission lines detract from their views. And they might be right. But that is a situation faced by everyone who buys property. There are risks.

We have been asking the people living in the Hunter Valley to take all the risks for decades, including health risks, so we can turn on the lights. As a community who like living in Australia, we need to learn to share those risks so we all benefit. Even more so if it helps keep the planet from warming.

I am writing with a plea to all road using cyclists.

My husband and I were travelling to Goulburn recently. As we were driving across the bridge just before the Kingsdale straight, two cyclists, riding in the same direction were already on the bridge. Unfortunately, they were in full shade, wearing dark clothing and had no lights on their bikes. My husband had to brake suddenly, with two vehicles behind us and one travelling in the opposite direction.

I have no issue with cyclists using the roads but I plead with them to be aware and to assist us all to stay safe by ensuring they are highly visible at all times. This was a close call that could have ended in tragedy.