PRESS ARTICLE RE SUE  JOHNSON, CANDIDATE FOR SDRC in 2016

 

Having lived, worked, run successful businesses and been involved in the community in the Southern Downs region for 19 years, and attended council meetings regularly, I feel I have gained enough expertise to be a good councillor.

 

It is the role of councillors to consult with the people and hear what they want, then convey to council administrators those desires of the people. This is not currently happening. If I am elected I will be available to listen to the people and make known their needs to council.

 

I am a participant in series of meetings around the small communities within the region and the response has been quite alarming. The people are extremely pleased that we have made the effort to come to them – they rarely if ever see their councillors. They have been very glad to have someone who is willing to try to understand the issues in their communities.

 

I have a desire to see all those communities flourish. If even the small communities are flourishing, then the region flourishes, as do the state and the whole country.

 

The rises in rates and charges are excessive and unaffordable. Rises should be no more than the national cpi and should be frozen in the first year of the new council. Currently rates are budgeted to rise by 4% for the next 10 years. Disposable income of ratepayers and businesses has been whittled away by these excessive rate increases in the past several years. I believe that councillors should therefore have their salaries cut accordingly and take a 10% pay cut immediately. They need to share the pain they are causing.

 

The high rates together with the high fees and charges of setting up a business in the region are deterring businesses from coming here. High rates make businesses less profitable.

 Council must return to its core business.

 

In May last year I addressed council on its wasteful spending. Since then I still see ratepayers’ hard-earned money being wasted and spending out of control. We must stop spending on unnecessary projects at least until we have paid off the debt which is unsustainable. The Stanthorpe streetscape is just one example. Most people in Stanthorpe don’t want it. People do not come to a town to see the streetscape. It is being pushed in the mistaken belief that it will bring visitors to the town. Visitors already come for the wine and other tourist attractions. But If all the shops are filled with a diversity of attractive merchandise, that gives vibrancy and life to the town, people want to come and the locals will be happier.

 

And there are a myriad of such projects that are wasting our money.

Like most people I am quite vocal in my criticism of council and councillors. I read something that really resonated with me and is the reason I am standing for council:  You have no right to complain unless you are prepared to do something about it.