Not the least of these is the debt he has inherited, driven by poor decision-making and insufficient oversight by the ruling majority bloc of councillors.
Our council has been plagued by a payroll surge, as revealed early this year by the Pastoral Times. While payroll costs were predicted to reduce following the 2016 merger of Deniliquin Council and Conargo Shire Council, they have instead skyrocketed … from $7.4 million a year for the combined entities to nearly $12 million a year. And this does not take into account additional costs for contracted employment.
Additionally, council has growing concerns with the Edward River Village and an inability to sell any of these units. Not only are the obvious cost implications an issue, but so is the lack of transparency. Why can’t councillors (and the community) be provided with full disclosure on what this project is costing ratepayers? The only reasonable conclusion is that there is something to hide.
Mr Arnold needs to report openly on the retirement village and convince the council, in particular Mayor Peta Betts, that adjustments to the structure are needed to ensure it does not become an increasing financial burden.
Any local real estate agent will confirm there is strong demand and short supply of centrally located properties to suit retirees, with some being snapped up as soon as they are on the market. This suggests the reason ERC’s properties are not selling is financial, including the original price and ongoing cost structure. Surely the solution is to accept the existing structure does not suit the market and make appropriate changes, rather than refusing to accept a need for change and hiding the financial consequences, which is what we have seen to this point.
In relation to transparency, we welcome the fresh approach from Mr Arnold who, from the start, was prepared to openly discuss his departure from Moira Shire Council a decade ago when questions were raised. This is in stark contrast to his predecessor, who seemed to take issue when council decisions were publicly questioned and responded with media bans.
A well-run, transparent council is an important part of the local democratic process. At the start of this council’s term, the community made it quite clear it wanted improved communication and transparency. The opposite has occurred.
We believe it is worth reflecting on the words of facilitator Robbie Sefton, in her foreword to the ‘Our Region, Your Say’ consultation in September 2021: “The community is calling for courageous leadership and a clear way forward. They want greater involvement in decisions and more information and communication about Council activities and priorities.”
In less than three years since that report we have instead seen questionable leadership, less communication and certainly no clear way forward.
As we look to the future, another issue Mr Arnold will need to address is ERC’s growth strategy. While it was prepared with all the right intentions, and we appreciate the need for optimism, planning for a population of almost 20,000 in the next 25 years is living in fantasyland. So is councillors using these population predictions to try and justify ‘out of control’ expenditure.
Quite simply, the challenges facing Mr Arnold and the elected representatives are immense. In September, residents will have an opportunity to elect a new council. Current signs suggest we need change, in particular leadership that is prepared to work more collaboratively with the community, and more councillors with the business acumen to lead our region into the future.
It is unfortunate that, perhaps from inexperience, we have been let down during this council term by the Mayor and her bloc, despite their best efforts. While we applaud their commitment, an unwillingness to listen and enact the important advice offered by Robbie Sefton, referred to above, has been to the detriment of the Edward River Council region.
Hopefully Mr Arnold will be able to play a key role in repairing community bridges that have been damaged.
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