I write in response to recent letters and blogs published in your paper regarding rating increase.
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No one likes to charge more to maintain all services and to improve those our surveying tells us people want improved.
In fact, it would have been easier to vote against than impose this average $71pa increase on constituents, family, friends and myself.
I’d remind residents what they get for their $15 per week contribution for the average Maitland adult.
Council:
- Collects waste and recycling from our homes three times per fortnight.
- Provides a local waste depot, at cost, for residential users.
- Controls development approval.
- Provides animal control.
- Provides and maintain cemeteries.
- Builds and maintains local roads.
- Pays to light and maintain our street lights.
- Builds and maintain s about 80 parks and playgrounds/skate parks.
- Maintains and constructs footpaths.
- Maintains and constructs sporting grounds.
- Maintains and runs four libraries.
- Maintains and runs an art gallery.
- Maintains and runs Maitland Gaol.
- Maintains the home of the Morpeth Museum.
- Maintains Walka Water Works.
- Provides and maintains many community halls.
- Maintains two Olympic-size swimming pools.
- Runs free community festivals like Steamfest, Aroma, Taste, Australia Day in Maitland Park, NYE on the river bank.
- Contributes $700,000 per annum for our community’s fire services.
- Provides immunisation and in-home support services.
- Provides a building to the SES to assist the residents of the Maitland in times of floods and storms.
- Provides over $50kpa in small community and sporting and arts grants.
- Employs several hundred front line staff to perform necessary and needed services ... and much more.
My water bill alone is more than this cost, and my electricity bill is double.
I think we all need to be reminded of the large amount of necessary and desired services we get for a relatively modest contribution.
- Cr Nicole Penfold, Maitland City Council