Of course Ken Gainger is right, the status quo is not an option. Byron Shire Council needs more money to service the shire’s crumbling infrastructure but a small correction is needed.
Contrary to attempts by council to label them ‘customers’, ratepayers are council’s employers and council’s job is to work in their interests.
The easy way to raise more money is to hit the people whose only other alternative is to sell up and leave. To suggest there is no other way is untrue, downright lazy and certainly not in the interests of ratepayers.
There are a myriad ways those benefitting from the huge tourist trade, which uses and abuses our facilities, could fill the gap.
For instance, an adjustment of the resident/business rate difference to something similar to everywhere else would help.
Also, when we look at the massive fees our local mega-festivals charge their traders, there’s plenty of meat on that particular bone.
However Gainger is conveniently ignoring that, along with many other sensible suggestions, in favour of the easy way out.
Maybe someone should remind our employee, he should devote a little more time to his actual job of working in the interests of ratepayers.
Robin Harrison, Binna Burra
