The old saying is; if ain’t broke don’t fix it. If we were to take that advice literally every time we had to make a decision – we would still be being dragged around on horse and cart, or using our legs like Fred Flintstone.
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There wouldn’t be a mobile phone or computer in the land because why try to do something quicker, better or with less effort, because it works just fine as it is?
To not question things as they are, and investigate and prosecute change goes against human nature.
Everything we have ever done, we’ve found ways to improve from farming to processing sewerage.
That drive to make things better, easier or less costly, and that curiosity to ask ‘is something working as well as it could?’ should also apply to how we spend public money.
And everyone can literally come up with a handful of ideas of where such questions should have been asked, answered and new approaches devised.
Certainly, Howard’s baby bonus, Rudd’s school hall scheme and Abbott’s direct action policy on climate were very sketchy and could have done with deeper thought.
Around Griffith we can think of a few things which needed a good hard look at, such as the costs associated with the indoor aquatic centre and the time it’s taken to build a roundabout at Hanwood.
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Certainly, deputy mayor Doug Curran’s suggestion that we should have fewer councillors is an idea with merit.
The idea that a city with less than 30,000 residents in the local government area, and has 12 councillors, is at odds with many other councils in the state.
Cities like Albury, Dubbo, Bathurst, Tamworth and even Lithgow manage to get the job done with less than 12 elected councillors. What more work do councillors have to do in Griffith?
This isn’t to say that the 12 councillors elected in 2016 haven’t contributed – they have, each and every one of them.
However, council is about to burn a huge pile of cash to pay for a by-election, that will cost $150,000 and why not hold a referendum in while we’re going?
Introducing a measure where council can save close to $100,000 a year in costs doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
If it isn’t the time to question whether things could be better, then when is it?
And more importantly, why do Griffith City councillors feel it’s necessary not to ask residents what they think?
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