General News
24 July, 2024
Perspective: Leadership and decision making
By Cr DAN STRAUB THIS month, I am again very fortunate to have the opportunity to write this article and share some of my views on the state of play at this point in time across the Loddon Shire and our wider region. Many residents would be aware...
By Cr DAN STRAUB
THIS month, I am again very fortunate to have the opportunity to write this article and share some of my views on the state of play at this point in time across the Loddon Shire and our wider region.
Many residents would be aware that last month council adopted the 2024-2025 Loddon Shire Council budget, this document is the most important document a council will deliver in any one year.
This year the budget has a total rates and charges revenue of $13.1 million and allocates a capital expenditure program of $6.96 million, community planning of $750,000 and flood restoration works of $20 million, which is in addition to the $20 million budgeted in last year’s 2023-2024.
Flood restoration works are funded by the Federal DRFA funding arrangements and then administered by the State Government, this has proven to be a challenging process and many residents would have heard me talking about this in the past.
The funding is like for like and the arrangement is for councils to pay the flood restoration works forward and then apply for the reimbursement by the State Government and hold our breath and hope we might get a high percentage of the reimbursement in a timely manner. I do take my hat off to the Loddon Shire staff that are working hard to complete the flood recovery works as quick as possible.
I make light of this to outline the continued future budgetary pressure that small rural councils like Loddon face to provide the current levels serves we experience.
With the inability at this point to generate higher revenue, we rely heavily on grants. These grants are also becoming more restrictive and more strenuous application proses to apply.
How do we combat ever increasing costs and demand?
Well big budgets are not unlike our smaller household budgets, whether you budget weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly, you effectively prioritise expenses against income.
The difference lies with service delivery organisations like local governments allocating public money for the overall benefit of all constituents, to make day to day life in community the best it can be.
I don’t have to tell you that rural communities are unique, we achieve a lot with a little, we get the jobs done, we improvise where needed and stand proud, but expectations against reality can be challenging on all levels.
Questions of adequate service delivery are something we all continually discus, and as a councillor it is my responsibility to represent the key strategic direction of policy creation lead by the voice of the community at the grassroots level, to network ideas of economic stimulus, population retention and growth, community planning,
I also put a big emphasis on rolling up the sleeves and doing the hard yards standing alongside our dedicated communities.
We all are facing hard times in one way or another at the moment, I take comfort that we all have each other for support and to lean on in times of need and times of tough decisions that need to be made by us all, tough decisions can be defining. Local governments across the state have to make defining decisions on behalf of all communities, Loddon Shire is no different and hard decision are not always popular.
As Theodore Roosevelt said: “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing”.
Leadership and decision making go hand-in-hand and leadership must be adaptable, respectful and dignified and once a decision is made, one must stand by that decision.
For the most part I endeavour to lead by example and enabling others the confidence to take control and lead in their own right to make respectful decision in their communities whilst holding on to core country values and beliefs.
Times are always changing and as a society, hard decision making and strong leadership guaranties our ability to thrive through change as a rural community and set a prosperous future for our next generation.
In the coming months there will be council elections held across the state. This is our chance as individuals to make the decision on who will represent our voice in the community at the local government level and form council over the next four years. Our votes do count.
In conclusion, the continuation of strong country values and traditions has proven to be a great community attribute in the way we live our lives and the attraction of what Loddon is. I look forward to the future and opportunity to represent you all again as a councillor at the upcoming election.
* Cr Straub is Loddon Shire’s Terrick Ward councillor