Council’s acting general manager Jeffery Sharp has expressed disappointment in Ipart’s decision to increase our rates by 10.1 per cent.
I quote: “Unfortunately we are now in a situation of not being able to finalise long-term plans for addressing our infrastructure backlog”.
If there is such a backlog on infrastructure, why then are we doubling our population here?
Won’t all these people need more infrastructure on top of the backlog? Why not clear the backlog for existing residents’ benefit? Any gains in infrastructure will be quickly swallowed up by the expanding numbers and ratepayers will be asked to pay all over again. Bigger is not always better and, in population terms, leads to a lower standard of living. Look at Western Sydney, for example. Instead of asking ratepayers for more and more money each year, how about Mr Sharp ask us if we want to double our region’s population. It may only be small dollars to him, but it is on top of already very high rates that increased 9.9 per cent last year. Soaring costs of living and now a State Government that has capped pay increases for many people in our area, enough already!.
Jason Clarke
Port Macquarie
