THE mayor of the Corangamite Shire, Cr Matt Makin, has said he seldom hears people complain about the lack of a duplicated highway. Does he listen?
It is hard to believe that a councillor could be so disconnected from his constituents as to question the priority of the duplication of the Princess Highway into western Victoria.
This is a vital piece of infrastructure that is long overdue.
If Cr Makin is concerned about the shortage of funds for local roads he may well look at the Corangamite Shire budget priorities and the efficiency in which they are delivered.
In times of fiscal restraint by most levels of government, the council is to employ an events officer and conduct feasibility studies ranging from farmers’ markets to B&S balls.
With the Tourism Opportunity Study and C30 Amendment, the council became the proponent rather than the regulator.
Council is undertaking a rural lands review which is running 12 months behind and no end in sight.
These are a few examples of expenditure totalling several hundred thousand dollars which the council could have spent elsewhere.
Has an analysis been done on the cost benefit of this expenditure?
There will be never be enough funds to have the roads we would like but while Cr Makin and his fellow councillors fail to rein in the growth of their own bureaucracy and make budgetary decisions weighted towards infrastructure, Corangamite Shire residents can expect little improvement in our local roads.
Leigh McKenzie, Newfield Lane, Newfield
