COUNCIL SPENDING

IS TOOWOOMBA Regional Council spending rates on what is intended or is making it up as it goes?

Can we afford to keep these spendthrifts as our elected representatives. They are elected to do the right thing for their electorate, not blow our hard-earned wages on whatever they feel is necessary at the time and do so without consultation or listening to reason.

Here are a few examples where millions of dollars have or will be spent before the next election: $10m on the railway goods shed, $2m for a library, $2.35m on land at Highfields, $5m on a path at Picnic Point, $5m on the Empire (totalling $20m so far). These are some of the expensive items. Plus, who can forget the $59,000 so far for overseas holidays

About 5% of ratepayers will get any benefit from these venues. The only real winners with these projects are the businesses.

Why should ratepayers have to pay the costs for these businesses to be built and then have to pay to maintain them? We receive nothing in return and have to pay again to use these facilities.

All businesses would like a business where ratepayers pay the construction costs and any ongoing refurbishments. This is already happening with most of the venues mentioned above. A 20% discount should be offered to ratepayers who wish to use these facilities.

If the $40m spent or to be spent on these venues was used to improve our roads, all ratepayers would benefit and would feel a lot safer when driving.

DARRYL WILLIAMS, Harristown