A letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner this week:
Williamson's world
When the Clarence Valley local government election results were published, it was obvious that residents and ratepayers would have a predominately inexperienced set of shire councillors.
Now under Mayor Richie Williamson it is also obvious that this council intends to throw what is left of local government access and equity out the window, in favour of a closed shop for the convenience of the mayor and certain councillors' private working hours.
By changing the time of day at which ordinary monthly meetings start from 9am to 4pm [Clarence Valley Council,telephone advice,03.10.08], Mayor Williamson has locked out electors - who have to rely on bus transport to travel to Maclean or Grafton and return - from staying for the full length of those monthly meetings.
Bus timetables for the Grafton-Maclean-Iluka-Yamba run do not allow for any weekday travel after 5.26pm and 5.32pm to 6.07 pm from Grafton and Maclean respectively. [Busways timetable].
Allowing time to walk to the nearest bus stop, Lower Clarence residents and ratepayers without private transport will only be able to stay at a Grafton monthly meeting for an hour and at a Maclean monthly meeting for and hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and three-quarters if they are lucky.
Grafton residents and ratepayers without private transport will have to leave the 4p.m. Maclean meetings before the bus back to Grafton at 5.32pm.
Iluka people relying on bus travel just won't have any access to any ordinary monthly meetings, as in practice there will be no timely Maclean transfers available.
With an aging population in many areas of the Clarence Valley and a dwindling pool of friends and neighbours capable of driving long distances as the light is changing or in the dark, many people will not be able to attend monthly meetings when issues that concern them come before council for consideration and vote.
It is my understanding that there was no real debate of this issue, that councillors "just voted".
If this is Mayor Williamson's brave new world, it is a tawdry comparison to that which went before.
JUDITH M. MELVILLE
Yamba
1 comment:
Shouldn't the foremost consideration for Richie Williamson be that of his ability to hold down two full time jobs, be a husband and father and find some time for himself amongst all of this?
And of course, the Mayoral role does pay $45,000.00 plus vehicle - that's a package that is worth about $60,000.00 I would estimate.
As a rate payer, I want my Mayor to give his full attention to the job.
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