Council
11 July, 2024
Issues raised
TAXES, roads and fears for local health services are among the most pressing issues facing Terang and district residents, an MP has warned.
Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell held a listening post at the Little Acorn Café in Terang last Friday, with a number of residents taking the opportunity to voice their concerns on issues impacting them.
She said among the most consistent issues raised was the land tax bill, which requires people to pay tax on land owned for investment properties, commercial properties, holiday homes or vacant land.
“That’s landing in people’s mailboxes at the moment, and a lot of people are in situations where they’re not able to afford this $975 bill, which is the minimum land tax bill,” Ms Britnell said.
“A lot of older people have come in saying it’s an expense they were not expecting and they’re on a pension – in our part of the world, sometimes it’s just land which people don’t even want to build on it or even can build on it.
“That one is a really big issue, especially when some bills are coming through which are incorrect because it’s not a vacant block and there actually is a house on it.
“It’s putting a lot of pressure on people because they’ve got dates which have to be met, so they’re really nervous about a high-pressure situation, which the government has created and is quite unnecessary.”
Ms Britnell said the condition of roads was again among the biggest concerns, saying even the “little bit of rain” the region has experienced this year has resulted in further damage.
“There’s lots of complaints about how many areas have seen speeds slowed down and aren’t getting any attention,” she said.
“I heard an interesting fact that in the city, for every kilometre of road, there’s 175 people whereas in the country it’s around five people.
“It’s a lot of money councils are trying to find for council roads, and we’re not seeing investment by the state of any significance in terms of long-term addressing the issue.
“It’s more patch-up pothole resurfacing and the issue isn’t getting any better – it’s getting worse.
“I don’t know when you can say it’s beyond critical, but it certainly feels that way at the moment.”
Among the biggest concerns was fears for local health services, with reports circulating which suggest regional hospitals could be amalgamated in to larger regional services and face significant budget cuts.
“So many people are talking about their concerns about mergers, particularly in small local towns like Terang, Heywood and Port Fairy,” Ms Britnell said.
“They’re very concerned the government is putting pressure on health care professionals to cut costs and they’re not allowed to speak out.
“Those who speak out do know what’s happening because the government put a gag on any employees or people in the system to speak.
“People like myself, who come from a health care background, such as retired doctors and nurses, scientists and pathologists, are all saying it is really worrying what is being rumoured.”
Ms Britnell said she enjoyed the opportunity to speak to constituents about issues they face, feeling examples of why change needs to be made makes for a compelling argument.
“In individual situations I can get directly to the minister and try to put some pressure on what is impacting a person and why it’s not appropriate,” she said.
“If it’s a more general issue these examples can really empower me with knowledge to speak in Parliament and tell a story around how decisions or a lack of attention to certain issues is affecting people’s lives.
“When you’re in government you have a responsibility to ensure the rules and regulations are in place to run a cohesive society - so when issues are ignored, such as we are with our roads and people don’t feel safe on the road –
“It’s important to me to be able to represent people with real-life stories on how they are being impacted – rather than sounding like a whinging politician, I want examples of how people are being let down.”