Budget barney

By Melissa Meehan
DUMMY spits and claims of a lack of transparency have marred the Cardinia Shire Council’s 2011-12 budget announcements.
Despite the majority of councillors voting to support the budget, which includes a 6.24 per cent rate increase, a $28.6 million capital works program and a $2.5 million flood mitigation program, Monday night’s budget meeting got fairly heated.
Councillors Collin Ross and Brett Owen were at loggerheads when debating the issue, with Cr Owen saying Cr Ross had not raised many of the issues in discussions with other councillors.
Cr Ross was a lone ranger in voting against the budget, saying the council hadn’t tried hard enough to keep the rate rise close to CPI.
The gallery broke into applause as Cr Ross spoke of his fight to keep rates low, as promised when he was running for council.
“They keep telling me why we can’t, instead of how we can,” he said.
“Melton Council is the same size as our council with similar growth and they kept their rate rise to 3.3 percent, I don’t understand why we can’t.”
He said many of the current councillors were elected after making promises to reduce the debt and keep rate rises low.
But Cr Owen and Cr Graeme Legge said they were both offended by the insinuation that council hadn’t tried hard enough.
“Councillor Ross has not expressed his disgust with the proposed budget during discussions with councillors,” Cr Owen interjected. “Obviously we have a councillor that lives under a rock and only hears what he wants to,” Cr Ross sniped back.
“If people want to get personal, spit the dummy and have a cry that’s fine – but we were voted in on the basis we would reduce the debt and I stand by that.”
It wasn’t only the councillors bumping heads, with the Cardinia Residents and Ratepayers Association(CRRA) and the Cockatoo, Gembrook and Emerald township groups all believing the shire is neglecting hills towns in favour of its growth corridor.
CRRA president Gloria O’Connor said she was troubled by the council’s decision to support the budget, especially given they had not responded to those who made submissions.
“I know there was debate, but I’m not sure they adequately addressed the level of concerns raised by residents – especially in relation to the rate rise,” Ms O’Connor said.
“The process needs to be more open and transparent, it seems the strategy used here was silence.”
Gembrook Township Committee president David Nickell said communities in the hills felt they were missing out.
“Our fundamental message to the council is that we know that the growth corridor continues to take a disproportionate amount of the council’s budget – plus management and staff time and expertise – at the expense of the rural parts of the municipality.”