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Roads and Rubbish are the basic universal functions of local government in every country with representative government. It is clear that, in many regions of the Northern Territory, local governments would not have the capacity, nor the resources to provide these basic functions. Indeed, evidence suggests that the Northern Territory government itself has limited outreach resources for the maintenance and construction of roads. That is partly a consequence of the environmental conditions but it is also due to resource allocations.

An example is the Fog Bay Road. Despite an upgrade of the 4.5 Kms of the road between Charlotte and Leviathan, the unsealed section of the road in that vicinity, and the section between Barramundi Drive and Dundee Beach, is rarely graded and maintained. The road is in a dangerous and disgusting condition and has been so for months, since the last wet season.

Not only that, but the rubbish accumulating along Fog Bay Road is an eyesore. No attempt is made by the Northern Territory government to keep the verge clear in this region.

We have a property at Dundee Downs. It stretches the imagination to envisage local government shires having the resources, or the political will, to provide an acceptable standard of local government services in the form of road maintenance and rubbish collection to Dundee Downs.

Unfortunately, there is ample research to suggest that, revenue raised in remote areas is inevitably allocated to the more populous areas or, worse, that revenue raised is largely spent on bricks and morter, and administrative salaries.

Moreover, regulating the local environment through local government regulations, would be virtually impossible to govern. The shire would not have the capacity to monitor local government regulations.

The bottom line is: would a rate regime make any difference to our quality of life or raise the standard of services in Dundee Downs? The answer is, absolutely not. It would simply boost the operating budget of the shire seeking to take control. I do not agree with that.

We dispose of our own rubbish, manage our own service requirements and monitor our surrounding environment. You, on the other hand, need to illustrate exactly what you, as a shire, would provide that justifies transforming the governing rate system and charging rates. We would pay rates and receive nothing. To this point, I have not seen a realistic staged schedule or any details of what you are capable of doing for your money.

Thanks Christine Fletcher for your comments, we understand it will be difficult for Dundee residents to gain services from a Shire. I think the real issues are around ones of planning issues, limited funding if not part of a Shire, increase lobbying position in a Shire, and the potential to develop other services as the population grows.

thanks, Peter Shepherd

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