Glib, cynical, self-serving - mayor's rates claims shot down

'I wonder if the mayor would be quite so smug if, like myself, he were hit with a 24% rate rise for this year, and 81% over the current council term?'

Water gauge drought. Picture: Bianca Hrovat

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I WONDER if Mayor Mick Curran (The Gympie Times, September 4) would be quite so smug if, like myself, he were hit with a 24 per cent rate rise for this year, and 81 per cent over the current council term?

And yes my valuations have been reviewed twice in that time.

This makes the Mayor's claims of $5 per week and 1.72 per cent per year sound glib, cynical and self serving.

Mayor Mick Curran. Picture: Gympie Regional Council

write as one of that forgotten minority of ratepayers whose sole income comes from the land that they own, and therefore needs to be of large area and high value to produce an income that is still a pittance compared to the local councillor's salary.

As a result, farmers are being asked to pay for far more than their share of council's "expensive infrastructure”, most of which is of no benefit to them.

How is this fair and equitable?

This infrastructure appears to consist of million dollar roofs that leak, decrepit footbridges and of turning perfectly good streets like Station Rd, Mellor St, Smithfield St and now upper Mary St into obstacle courses.

Mayor Mick Curran speaks with the media after delivering the 2019-20 council budget. Picture: Scott Kovacevic

Not to mention a $20 million railway line that is of no benefit to anyone north or west of the golf course.

Those who benefit from these projects should be the ones to pay their fair share of the cost. This is not the case at present.

Why should the region's farmers, dealing as they are with drought, be forced to pay two or even three times as much for the same, or less, services as town residents?

It is my opini

The Gympie Times Backs Our Farmers

Greg Edwards,

Bells Bridge