It has probably reduced my part-pension payment since I retired but I don't have the energy to enter the Kafkaesque-world of the complaints department.  

I attended Bendigo's Centrelink office last week: 35 people sitting waiting at 2pm, a handful in the queue or trying to self-serve at a computer or phone; a few staff on the floor to assist and one security guard.

"You're a person, not a number": it sure didn't feel like it.

This government is rewriting history: ministers say the age pension is not an entitlement, but it always was if you met the age, assets and income test; and people given 21 days to respond to a letter declaring a debt, yet it takes 10 weeks or more for a Medicare reimbursement.

A study by the University of Melbourne (Attiwill et al, 2013) with scientists and specialists in fire management found no evidence from recent major bushfires in Victoria to suggest younger forest burns with greater severity than older forest. 

Or that bushfires burnt more intensely in forests where timber harvesting took place than in national parks and reserves where there is no timber harvesting.

Aerial imagery taken after the 2009 bushfires shows that areas of young forest regrowing after timber harvesting were some of the only areas unburnt during the high-intensity stages.

As the population grows, so does the demand for timber and wood products. Without native timber harvesting we would add pressure on developing nations to supply our timber needs.

The state government has made changes to the Local Government Act requiring all councils to develop four-year plans with their communities.

It is designed to give residents, and especially ratepayers, more say in their council’s plan, priorities, services and budgets.

It puts residents first, ensuring improved accountability. To help design its plan, council has a community plan survey on the internet now for us to fill in.

Too bad if you are not on the internet, because of age or unemployment or a disability or working hard and long hours. To me it’s public snowballing, just like the organic bin disaster, where a select few will make the decisions.

The survey is repetitive, narrowly cast and skewed to what the officers want. For example, the arts is identified three times, agriculture and Home and Community Care Service zero. If the survey was approved by councillors, then they need to be embarrassed.

A number of questions have no bearing on putting locals first. Council is allowing people who visit the city to complete the survey. Only City of Greater Bendigo residents/ratepayers should be involved.

Also, I don’t know what identifying a resident’s suburb, age, gender, or if they are working 15 hours per week, has to do with them putting up ideas for council’s plan.

How will residents’ responses to this survey be treated? I have little confidence. I submitted two submissions to council in 2016 – Home and Community Care Programme and Councillor’s Remuneration and Expenses.

I received no acknowledgement. So much for council’s values of inclusion and consultation and transparency, unreliably claimed at the front of every council meeting agenda.