Ratepayers Victoria boss wants councils to worry about rubbish and roads

Ratepayers want Victorian councils to stay in their own backyards and tackle council issues, such as roads and public safety, and to cool it on climate debates and nuclear disarmament.

Ratepayers want councils to fix roads and collect rubbish, not waste time and money ­debating global and national issues.

That’s the view of the state’s peak ratepayer group, which says Victorian councils should cool it on climate.

Declaring climate emergencies, debating nuclear disarmament and calling for dole increases was nothing but “virtue-signalling rubbish”, Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston said.

More than 20 Victorian councils have so far declared climate emergencies.

City councils have also debated issues as far removed from core local government business as nuclear arms, with Port Phillip in October calling on the federal government to sign a UN nuclear weapons prohibition treaty.

And the City of Melbourne this month called for an immediate hike in unemployment benefits of at least $75 a week.

“These are complete distractions and virtue-signalling rubbish that ratepayers don’t want councils to have anything to do with it,” Mr Hurlston said.

The areas most ratepayers wanted their local councils to concentrate on were roads, footpaths, parks, public spaces, sporting fields, rubbish collections, streetscapes and lighting.

“It’s completely pointless. What the hell do nuclear weapons or Newstart have to do with local councils?

“These are federal issues that they need to stay out of. They need to stay in their own backyards.”

On the third anniversary of its climate change declaration, Darebin council this month called for “urgent action and leadership … to address the climate emergency”, and delivered a list of demands to help the country reach zero emissions by 2030.

It’s demanding Australia:

Reach 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and then double its renewable energy supply;

Make all products and packaging from fully-recycled ­material;

Build all roads and footpaths from recycled materials;

Transition to all electric cars, buses and trucks by 2025; and

Reform planning laws and building standards to mandate all new construction and major renovations — including extensions on existing buildings — are emissions-free by 2023.

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And Yarra council recently released it’s draft Climate Emergency Plan, which proposes preaching to community members of all ages about climate change and discouraging car ownership.

Mr Hurlston said even when councillor motions on big issues had been debated and not passed, a significant amount of council officer time — and therefore ratepayer money — had often been spent on research and reports.

The areas most ratepayers wanted their local councils to concentrate on were roads, footpaths, parks, public spaces, sporting fields, rubbish collections, streetscapes and lighting, he said.

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