The Amalgamation Debate That's Not Really Happening

GO TO THIS STORY HERE

 Most of us were on holidays and not reading the paper. This is yesterday's news but it was full of promise. Councils and LGAT need to be reminded that ratepayers are bleeding and the only people benefiting, it seems, are the highly paid Mayors General Managers et al all of whom are living the dwindling resources of ratepayers. Things must change and soon.

GO TO THIS STORY HERE

This was a promise made a while ago but surely with the present level of support for changes to the all too often dysfunctional, and non delivering,  Local Govt system in Tasmania on a high.

When a Council like Launceston's operates with a structural deficit of $2.6 MILLION that has to tell you something. One thing being that Tasmania's biggest councils is being poorly managed. It got the Auditor General worried apparently. Why are ratepayers so quiet?

On top of that Launceston has a Defined Benefits Superannuation Scheme. That's nice for the recipients and a worry for ratepayers. Currently, with interest rates falling this scheme's liabilities are probably growing exponentially.  

You have to ask why would ratepayers in adjoining Council want to take on the liabilities of a Council that's spent decades spending like a drunken sailor. 

Something needs to happen BUT WHAT?