OPINION: Council priorities out of whack

WHAT should local councils spend all their time and money worrying about?

WHAT should local councils spend all their time and money worrying about?

If you have paid close attention to these letters page over the past few weeks you would have a pretty good idea what our readers think their priorities should be.

People want their councils to look after the traditional things like roads, rates and rubbish.

Based on figures released by the NRMA last week there is a $430 million repair backlog of repairs on North Coast roads.

The includes Lismore Council $79.27m, Clarence Valley $43.68m, Kyogle $32.95 and Byron $32.37m.

That's a lot of potholes to fill in and given the extreme weather we've had in the first six to eight months of the year it's hardly surprising that backlog is so big.

If you have been reading the letters to the editor, you would also know there's not much support for art galleries and new grand parks in the scheme of things.

Many people consider them to be a waste of money when our roads are in such a bad state of disrepair.

But when you think about it, fixing a road only brings you temporary relief.

As soon as one pothole is filled, another opens up with the next rain shower.

Whereas a park you can sit in, play in, take the family for a picnic and watch cinema under the stars for ever more.

I happen to think that councils should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Meaning they are capable of doing more things that just one.