After budgeting $500,000 for the election, the council has been shocked by the bill from the State Government, which conducts local government elections.
Describing the project cost as “grossly disproportionate” to the 2004 election, the council is considering lodging an objection with the State Electoral Commission and furthering their complaints to Premier Morris Iemma.
The new estimations mean the council will be left with a budget shortfall of $577,200 after putting aside $125,000 a year.
Local Government Association President, Councillor Genia McCaffrey, said all councils have been hit with big increases as a result of cost shifting by the Government. Cr McCaffrey said that the government hits local councils with inflated bills after they make them beg annually for rate increases equal to the CPI just so they can maintain services and facilities for their residents.
The State Electoral Commission has stated that councils for the past decade had been required to pay the full costs of their elections, however a review in 2005 found that the commission was not fully recouping costs.
The figures forwarded to local councils had been calculated by taking the expected total cost of the elections throughout NSW and dividing it by the total number of enrolled voters. All figures were forwarded on as an “indicative figure” with further discussions if, or when, required.
The figures were worked out at $7.14 per voter, which was then multiplied by the number of voters in each council area. The commission advised local councils that this year’s state election had cost $38.4 million, equating to $8.79 per each enrolled elector.
Council elections do not carry the costs of state elections where tally rooms, Legislative Council ballot papers, interstate and overseas postal voting, the making of TV commercials and a large scale media campaign are considered. However, council elections have many more candidates with council elections in 2004 involved about 4500 candidates compared with 900 candidates at the recent state election.
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Children asked to help the Shire’s threatened species
Some of Australia’s rarest animals, such as the green and golden bell frog, the grey headed flying fox, koalas and other native animals - all of which are threatened species – call the Shire home, and now children in the area are being asked to help save some of these precious creatures.
The Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife have been working with primary schools across NSW to show parents and teachers what these animals look like and have asked the kids of the Shire to join in.
The Foundation’s CEO, Leonie Gale, said Dymocks will provide a Golden Paw Award that will educate people on which animals are threatened and living locally while raising money for conservation efforts.
The Golden Paw Award aims to educate people and help them to identify species such as the powerful owl and eastern pygmy possum, which are known to be living in the Shire. Most people have probably seen them but don’t know what they look like.
Students in NSW will be asked to provide drawings showing what these animals look like so National Parks and Wildlife can find them and help protect them and their homes. As part of the award and conservation efforts Dymocks will donate $1 to the foundation for every entry they receive.
Entries will close on September 7 which is National Threatened Species Day. Entry forms, educational material and relevant details are available at www.fnpw.org.au
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