OH NO! ... NOT ANOTHER COST CENTRE FOR LAUNCESTON?

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Launceston is at it again. Whilst it is both stupid  and counterproductive to argue against motherhood it is sometimes not a such bad idea to challenge what's being offered up as "motherhood". It's an old. old story that Launceston Council has a lot of expertise in the 'WASTE MANAGEMENT' BUSINESS'. You see, down there at Town Hall they manage to waste just about every opportunity that comes their way.

In fact the "WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTRE" is not as some people think a place where 'waste is managed', rather its that place where resources are sent to be wasted. More to the point, its all wasted at the expense of ratepayers! 

Here we go again the operational wing is yet again inventing yet another COST CENTRE. Now why would they want to do that? Well its exquisitely simple really. If you're a subscriber to the "JOBS AND GROWTH" mantra, new 'Cost Centres' deliver for council's operational wing's underlings and overlords alike. The Parkinson's Law adage that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion"guides the self-serving decision making. 

Then again, Parkinson's law is also a reference to the self-satisfying uncontrolled growth of the bureaucratic apparatus in an organisation and that's clearly at work in all this. Because overlords need underlings getting a new cost centre is almost a perpetual imperative 'going forward'.

Now this is not to say that GREEN WASTE RESOURCE RECOVERY is a bad idea  – it's actually a very GOOD idea! 

Its just something that's better left in the hands of an operation/people whose business it is do more than survive (the cost centre goal) and people who wish to succeed (the enterprise principle). Cost Centres in most councils – Launceston's in particular – typically translate as places that bring on an increase in rates and not by the necessity for an increase in services or service quality.

So how is "GREEN WASTE" reimagined an 'ORGANIC RESOURCE'? You might well start by standing back and opening up the opportunity to all players – community cooperatives, community enterprises, the corporates, etc. – and get out of their way. Yes, police them to ensure that they meet community standards but mostly get out of the way. 

The trouble here is that you need 'EXPERTS' to pull of the enterprise. They are out there, just not in the employ of 'the council'. – yet or maybe never. When a bureaucracy starts 'deeming' that has either the expertise, or even the ability to recognise it, you get into deep water fiscally. 

The alarm bells are ringing with this exercise in 'bureaucratic-self-service' and where yet again another cost centre is being imagined in order to grow the bureaucratic empire for the 'rent seekers' at Town Hall.

The really worrying thing here is that 'THE GREENS' and GREEN ACTIVISTS seem to have been sidelined .. shut out? The Greens in politics are looking the other way too it seems even when they are elected to council. Have they dropped the ball? Are they interested in this issue here? Is it too small an idea? What does it take to engage with them?

If the council has anything to do here it is to energise the community and encourage those with ideas and capacity to get interested! ... NO, more than interested! ... Rather, encouraged to be active and supported in order to be so!