Get out and about

Baw Baw shire mayor Joe Gauci is quoted (Gaz 28/6) as saying “I’m not sure where we are going wrong”.

Clearly he does not get out and about enough. Obviously too busy in his mayoral robes so I will help him out with how exactly he, and the rest of this hopeless council is going wrong.

Our rates continue to increase as services dwindle. Staff employed by council has grown exponentially with no resultant difference to any citizen of Baw Baw.

Big government for its own sake is a mistake – get out of people’s lives, let us keep more of our own money instead of fleecing us with higher rates and stick to basic services. That’s your job.

Look at the condition of our roads and footpaths. Cr Gauci, along with Cr Cook, have been quoted as saying that council has a policy of closing gaps in footpaths. Perhaps they should check out Tarwin St where they have just recently created two gaps in a footpath where previously there was one.

How Tarwin St is without a proper footpath on such a busy road is beyond me. People walk on the road daily. Do we need a fatality to start some action?

The lack of democratic process is nowhere more evident when so many decisions are made behind closed doors or when citizens are given a miserly three minutes to air their grievances at council. And you wonder where you are going wrong.

Many councillors treat people as second class citizens as they revel in their superiority. Who voted you in Cr Gauci?

Warragul has been littered with temporary pedestrian crossings for years. Apparently you can’t make your minds up as to what you do or don’t want. Make a decision. it’s not too hard.

Council could stop being led by the nose by developers. There should be no new high density developments without the required infrastructure. Parking is a huge issue as are kindergartens and other infrastructure.

In their gleeful grab for more rate revenue, council has allowed a “Little Pakenham” to grow on the western edge of town. Allowing 500 square metre blocks is a big mistake in this rural area and does absolutely nothing for the area. Take responsibility for these poor decisions and don’t repeat them.

Council has allowed the eyesore of the old milk factory to fester for years. It has shown how weak it is by not seriously taking on this issue. Weasel words are not good enough. Toughen up and do something. You’ve had plenty of opportunities.

Council could stand up for itself and cease being led by the nose by beaureacrats. Report after report is called for and money wasted on this sort of rubbish every day. Make a decision of your own.

Take a good look at the leaves that litter Warragul in autumn. Baw Baw uses one street sweeper whilst Latrobe City uses three. Spot the difference?

And you could pull your chief executive into line for the very partisan political barracking she posted on Twitter. It’s not council’s role to take sides in an election but that is exactly what you let her do.

Space does not permit me to raise any more points. These are some of the issues at front of mind.

But if Cr Gauci, in his laughable quest for reasons as to council’s poor ratings and where they are going wrong wants any more ideas than these perhaps he could call a public meeting or I am happy to take his call. Danny Goss Warragul