Letter to the Editor (and a Councillor)
I was dismayed today, when I attended the library to exchange my books, to discover that the council had decided to close the library and sell off the building and the tennis and basketball courts here in Herberton.
My husband and I bought a property here 6 months ago and one of the reasons we chose Herberton was because it had good recreational facilities. I use the library every week, as do many others (the library is never empty when I go) and intend to start a social tennis group.
Of course I realise that councils are all about making everything pay but they should also be providing services for their residents. In many ways the library is the hub of the community. It not only caters for residents who are readers but also offers other community activities and is an important gathering place for many of the elderly and disadvantaged residents. For small communities such as ours this is essential for many peoples’ mental health and well being. No price can be placed on this valuable service.
The tennis and basketball courts are also used by children and other community members for fun, fitness and recreation. As residents new to the area it is disappointing to hear that this decision has had no recent community consultation (apparently consultation occurred in 2023). In fact most of the community are only hearing about your decision after it has already been made. Herberton has changed since 2023 and new residents are now using these facilities.
Trusting that this matter will be receive your careful consideration and be reviewed.
Yours sincerely,
Heike Orlow
Councils functioning under the Local Government Act are simply another state government corporation managed by a CEO with the Mayor and Councillors being board members.
Ratepayers have no say because they are neither shareholders nor board members. Former Atherton Tablelands charlatan and Labor Premier Peter Beattie designed the Local Government Act to be a mouthpiece for the government of the day.
Councillors and Mayors have no real function other than to agree with what the CEO tells them and vote accordingly. Ratepayers have no say all.
Therefore CEO’s can employ as many staff as they desire because it is regarded as ‘operational’ and councillors have no say.
To interfere in operations will almost certainly result in being hauled off to an inquisition by the state government’s watchdog, the Office of Independent Assessor, a star chamber for councillors who actually do their job.
If a ratepayer contacts their councillor about getting a bad road graded or repaired and the councillor does his job by asking the council roadworks foreman to inspect the road, he’s off to the Inquisition, by order of the CEO.
Many Queensland councillors have run foul of their CEO’s and others have not stood for re-election because they regard themselves as an expensive irrelevancy.
In this complaint by a Herberton ratepayer it is simply a case of the CEO doing as he pleases and councillors have no say.
Tablelands Regional Council is notoriously top heavy for a relatively small council area with a population of approximately 26, 730 and having around 11,600 rate-able properties administered by 294 total staff, many holed up in offices.
Its rural rates have all but crippled farming properties with one farmer in the fabled ‘golden triangle’ paying an annual $175,000 in property rates based on the farm’s unimproved capital value.
There are no council rural services such as reticulated water and in most cases no garbage pick ups. Their roads are at best basic and nobody is sure just what the huge staff does.
Rates for 2025-26 have increased by 7.9 per cent, which many struggling ratepayers will find hard to afford, particularly farmers. For example, 85% of households are expected to see an average increase of $114 per year. Farms and industrial sites will be much more.
This is a typical expose of local government in Queensland. The 1988 referendum trying to legitimise councils in Australia failed and this is the result. – contributed
