Council takes MPs to task

By City of Casey deputy mayor Shar Balmes
There is clearly a co-ordinated campaign underway to try to discredit the council by the local MPs. That’s unfortunate because they should instead be trying to help the local community – not penalise it through having to pay higher rates to fix a methane issue caused by VCAT and the EPA.
Some of the claims by the MPs need comment:
“Casey management (should) get on with the job of putting in a business case” – (Donnellan).
He is either uninformed or being deliberately misleading. Casey management has previously submitted three business cases over the last 15 months, and the State Government has ducked and weaved trying to avoid responsibility by rejecting each one. The main ground for rejection seems to be that they implicate VCAT and the EPA. The 4th business case submitted has removed reference to the role of the EPA and VCAT. Let’s hope that silly grounds for rejection are now past, and that this time the request is accepted.
“A business case is not a silly political letter” – (Donnellan).
No silly political letters have been submitted. The previous mayor and the current mayor have written unsuccessfully to both the Premier and to the Minister for the Environment. None of these letters were business cases – they were requests for assistance. The business cases were submitted by Casey management direct to DSE.
“The use of ratepayers money to run a public relations campaign is disgraceful” – (Donnellan).
Council wouldn’t need to run a campaign if the State Government had sensibly provided a commitment to fund the costs when they were asked to on numerous occasions over the past 18 months. It was in frustration that council had to finally turn to raising funds for a public relations campaign (which hasn’t yet commenced).
“The Council should) stop playing politics with an issue that is so important to the local community” – (Graley).
Too right it’s important – $41.9 million makes it very important to the local community. If the State Government had sensibly faced up to its responsibilities at the start, instead of simply hoping the costs would somehow disappear, then the proposed rate rise would never have been needed.
“I am diligently working through appropriate channels to make sure this burdensome rate increase does not go ahead” – (Graley).
It’s a pity our local Labor MPs didn’t work diligently when they were asked to by council in 2009. It’s refreshing to see they are now. The rate rise will be avoided if the State Government takes financial responsibility as requested by Council.
“Casey’s focus on VCAT and the buffer distance is just another attempt to play politics and pass the blame”- (Perera).
The Legislative Council just last month published a report on its review of the Ombudsman’s investigation into the Brookland Greens methane leak. The following exchange is recorded in the transcript of evidence:
Mr BARBER (MP) — However, if VCAT had affirmed council’s original decision not to allow development on the buffer zone, we would not be sitting here, would we?
Mr TAYLOR (Deputy Ombudsman) — Correct.
The Deputy Ombudsman wasn’t playing politics – just acknowledging the reality that if VCAT had upheld Council’s decision to refuse the subdivision permit then, the whole Brooklands Green situation would not have happened.
“Using the ratepayers of Casey and subsequently the residents of Brookland Greens as a political football is quite a low blow” (Perera)
No residents are being used as a political football by council. Unfortunately, the State Government is forcing the residents to pay for the past decisions of VCAT and the EPA. Council is simply seeking to have the State Government face up to its responsibilities. The residents will actually benefit if council’s request is agreed to by the State Government, as the council will then be able to reduce the rate rise accordingly.
It would be most helpful if our local Labor State MPs could actually help save the residents of Casey millions of dollars in extra rates over the next decade by advocating on behalf of council instead of attacking it.