Questions over car parking
On Australia Day, one would have to question why the mayor had to illegally park her council vehicle in Nolan Street in the loading zone.
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It is obvious that her council vehicle does not fit the criteria for a vehicle to be parked here the under VicRoads regulations.
Why did someone not come from the council and reserve a normal parking area for her, as has happened on previous occasions?
I wonder if she has been issued a ticket like anyone else who parks illegally, or is there two sets of rules yet again?
Robert Smallpage, Huntly
Concerns at fire change
Firstly, let me state that these are not the views of Mitchell Shire Council, but purely my personal views gained from life experience – small business owner, small farmer and CFA member – and four years of chairing the Mitchell Shire Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee.
I am extremely concerned with the proposal to hand over chairmanship of the MEMPC to paid officers.
From my understanding, some of the reasons are to get uniformity in the knowledge base, familiarity with issues, knowledge of the other main organisation’s involved, etc. All commendable ideals.
However, from my experience, this is vastly outweighed by having an independent councillor appointment, who has no allegiances to any particular organisation, but a genuine community focus.
From my experience of the current MEMPC, I see very little initiative, much compliance with the top-down approach, and no effort to move the boat – let alone rock it.
It appears to me to be a gathering where many organisations with concerns and involvement in the emergency management field come together, but some of these organisations appear more concerned with expanding their bureaucratic base and self-perpetuation than in listening or wanting community input.
They have forgotten who they are actually working for.
There are increasing and more costly layers of this bureaucracy where it is impossible to get things done in a timely manner, let alone to expedite things in an emergency.
To put it plainly, nothing is happening on the ground.
Most of the concerns of residents in regard to the Black Saturday fires have been conveniently forgotten.
Roadsides, in most cases, are still a disgrace. Plans should be in place to work with landowners in non-significant vegetation areas or strategic areas to reduce fuel loads by grazing and other means, Nothing.
The shire has done structure plans for some of our towns – Wallan, Kilmore, Wandong/Heathcote junction – that set out development for the next 20 to 30 years.
I would have expected a detailed written submission from the CFA, outlining the need for a defined physical boundary (road, creek, river, railway line) between the rural/urban interface, what tree species are preferred and where planted, widening of the road envelope could have been suggested. Nothing.
This is why I feel chairmanship of the MEMPC and other similar committees is all-important. It allows for an independent voice and a different perspective.
The easiest path for many organisations is to sit back and not rock the boat and I suppose who can blame them in many cases they do not feel any direct impact like the general public.
Things like budgetary concerns mean very little as they are usually spending someone else’s money, or imposing regulations on people they do not know or have any direct contact with.
I regard the proposal to appoint officers to the position of chairperson of MEMPC as a vote for a more compliant, complacent, and mediocre organisation.
