I've just been put onto this website this morning - nice work : The household income is not the right metric - it's the individual average Monaro income = $43,420 (2021 Census). If you look at the timeseries data on the OLG (comparing all councils), all councils were allowed to print the 2020 average individual income. How was this calculated, I know of no study conducted during that time ? Meaning the average salary is back to what it was in 2012 !!!! Clearly, Snowy 2.0 has made little difference.
So SMRC staff (average) are being paid over twice the average on the Monaro. How's that representing us ???
What's with the ten year forecasts ? See 2022 submission for IPART vs May 2024 in business papers . . .
SMRC have consistently mis-reported the Governance and Administration totals for years. I can only conclude that number will be far higher than most councils. The 2023 figure cannot be correct, e.g. a negative number.
Thanks, Greg. I appreciate the feedback. There’s definitely room for improvement, both in my articles and in how government data is collected and reported.
Regarding the SMRC staff salary discrepancy, you're absolutely right—there's a significant gap between the staff average and the regional average. This could be an innocent anomaly, but it definitely warrants deeper investigation. One possibility is that executive salaries are disproportionately high, inflating the average, even if many frontline staff are paid far less.
I also share your concerns about the Governance and Administration totals. If you’re looking for some eye-opening insights, take a closer look at IT software licensing and Strategic Planning costs last year—you might find a few surprises hidden in there.
It’s definitely worth digging deeper to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair use of public funds.
Absolutely! Relying on grant money to cover basic operational costs is not only unsustainable—it’s irresponsible. Grants should be used for specific projects and long-term investments, not to patch up routine expenses. This approach leaves us vulnerable, especially in emergencies, and ties us to the whims of external funding bodies.
Thanks for your kind words! I couldn’t agree more—empowering our communities is essential. When decisions are made transparently, and spending reflects the community’s priorities, everyone benefits. It’s time to restore trust and accountability in local government, ensuring that resources are allocated where they’re needed most.
We need to push for fiscal responsibility and make sure ratepayers’ voices are heard in every step of the process. Together, we can advocate for meaningful change and ensure that power returns to where it belongs: with the community.
I hear you, I wrote a lot about these issues several years ago in the Post, including software and IT, but the paper has changed Editors and as a consequence of my last letter (May 2023) I found there was too much censorship going on.
It’s frustrating when important conversations are stifled by editorial changes and censorship creeps into local media. The issues you raised—especially around software, IT systems, and governance failures—are more relevant than ever, and it’s a shame that your voice was cut off.
It seems that community-driven platforms are becoming more important for ensuring these discussions don’t disappear. I appreciate you sharing your experience, and it's a good reminder that we need to create and support independent spaces for these issues to get the attention they deserve.
I've just been put onto this website this morning - nice work : The household income is not the right metric - it's the individual average Monaro income = $43,420 (2021 Census). If you look at the timeseries data on the OLG (comparing all councils), all councils were allowed to print the 2020 average individual income. How was this calculated, I know of no study conducted during that time ? Meaning the average salary is back to what it was in 2012 !!!! Clearly, Snowy 2.0 has made little difference.
So SMRC staff (average) are being paid over twice the average on the Monaro. How's that representing us ???
What's with the ten year forecasts ? See 2022 submission for IPART vs May 2024 in business papers . . .
SMRC have consistently mis-reported the Governance and Administration totals for years. I can only conclude that number will be far higher than most councils. The 2023 figure cannot be correct, e.g. a negative number.
Thanks, Greg. I appreciate the feedback. There’s definitely room for improvement, both in my articles and in how government data is collected and reported.
Regarding the SMRC staff salary discrepancy, you're absolutely right—there's a significant gap between the staff average and the regional average. This could be an innocent anomaly, but it definitely warrants deeper investigation. One possibility is that executive salaries are disproportionately high, inflating the average, even if many frontline staff are paid far less.
I also share your concerns about the Governance and Administration totals. If you’re looking for some eye-opening insights, take a closer look at IT software licensing and Strategic Planning costs last year—you might find a few surprises hidden in there.
It’s definitely worth digging deeper to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair use of public funds.
Its unacceptable to be pulling constantly from grant money to make our basic operational costs ! Totally unacceptable!
Absolutely! Relying on grant money to cover basic operational costs is not only unsustainable—it’s irresponsible. Grants should be used for specific projects and long-term investments, not to patch up routine expenses. This approach leaves us vulnerable, especially in emergencies, and ties us to the whims of external funding bodies.
Thank you for this insightful information ! We really need to give power back to our communities!
Thanks for your kind words! I couldn’t agree more—empowering our communities is essential. When decisions are made transparently, and spending reflects the community’s priorities, everyone benefits. It’s time to restore trust and accountability in local government, ensuring that resources are allocated where they’re needed most.
We need to push for fiscal responsibility and make sure ratepayers’ voices are heard in every step of the process. Together, we can advocate for meaningful change and ensure that power returns to where it belongs: with the community.
I hear you, I wrote a lot about these issues several years ago in the Post, including software and IT, but the paper has changed Editors and as a consequence of my last letter (May 2023) I found there was too much censorship going on.
It’s frustrating when important conversations are stifled by editorial changes and censorship creeps into local media. The issues you raised—especially around software, IT systems, and governance failures—are more relevant than ever, and it’s a shame that your voice was cut off.
It seems that community-driven platforms are becoming more important for ensuring these discussions don’t disappear. I appreciate you sharing your experience, and it's a good reminder that we need to create and support independent spaces for these issues to get the attention they deserve.