Mount Vesuvius as seen from Pompeii. Thousands died. Rich and poor, proud and lowly.

A pretty sombre place to visit.

More talk in the paper today on amalgamations.

I wonder if it will get a head of steam?

It has come a long way from an idea. Two years ago we feared the area would lose it’s medical surgery. Things are looking up now.

We had local Lyons Member Dick Adams come for the opening and our local doctor said a few words also. Hopefully we will have 3 doctors working soon.

Murals have certainly been an economic winner for the Sheffield area over the years bringing more tourists to the area and some of these translating into new residents.

The murals will be celebrated in December. So the murals kicked off in 1986. This was the year I first visited Tassie with my parents. I was a teenage lad in High School in New South Wales. I do not remember visiting Sheffield. We were based at Boat Harbour at the time.

I remember telling my parents as we left Tassie that I had a feeling inside that I would be back. This happened in 1994.

Wouldn’t we all love Council not to charge us rates? Dream on!

Non Profit Organisations currently are not charged the General Rates.

I am having a look at this policy at the moment.

A question: How should we define Non Profit Organisations?

We all love the Mountain.

Have your say on the draft report recently released. Speak up time is now until the end of August.

Report is here.

Councils seem to rolling along quite smoothly. There are niggles and individual problems that come up but on the macro level it is going pretty well at the moment.

It make me nervous!

Talks are back in the media at the moment.

So am I for them for against them?

Depends. How many Councils would be amalgamated? Would rates be lower? Would the people of Kentish be well represented? Would services increase?

If a Council can keep a lid on rates, maintain the existing infrastructure, run consistent surplus budgets and provide councillors close to the people; is there a need to amalgamate? Kentish is in this position.

A middle road is resource sharing which we do with Latrobe.

We share the same General Manager 50/50 in time and costs. Unless you share a GM from my observations you will always struggle to share resources. Sharing a GM is the key to sharing resources.

Latrobe and Kentish are now going further into sharing. The engineer at Latrobe will soon be working in Kentish also. This has been a long time in the making but will be worth the wait.

There is no push from the State Government to amalgamate Councils. They may see it as political poison.

I haven’t met a local yet who is in favour. Maybe you are. I am keen to hear comments.

All that said  I am open to proposals. There would need to be clear benefits to Kentish residents.

Council has approved the 2011/2012 budget.

Rate increases are below cpi this year. Those who pay bills to Cradle Mountain Water are on a cheaper  rate (1.5%) than those who don’t (2.9%). It will be interesting to do a rates comparison with the other 8 councils in our region. My guess is 5 will be more expensive and 3 cheaper for the same value house.

Most other fees and charges are the same as last year including the tip and rubbish collection.

Kentish used to have some of the cheapest rates in the State. The infrastructure crumbled though.

If you have a pensioner card or health care card you can get a discount off your rates. Ask at the Council office.

Some of the work we intend to do this financial year:

Lamberts Bridge at Mersey Lea. Not much change out of a million dollars. No Kentish residents on the other side!
Streetscape in Railton (both side of the northern end of Foster St)
Footpath work in Wilmot
Road access into Lorinna (don’t hold your breath…this has gone on for 25 years).

Kentish will NOT finish the streetscape work in Sheffield this year.  We lost $600,000 in funds due to the January floods. We were determined to run a modest surplus and keep rates low so something had to give. So Sheffield streetscape will have to wait. It will be finished. I hope we can do it next year. Council decision.

Council will also purchase our own grader. Council had one in the past but got rid of it. Having our own will allow us to respond more quickly to road problems.

My wife Helen’s relatives were pioneers in Kentish, the Morris Family. Originally settling in Duck Marsh (who knows where that is)? John Morris then moved into High St running a good size acreage called “Highfield”. Helen is the only Morris now living in the area  (as far as we know).

One of the Morris boys lived on Browns Road. Unfortunately their house burnt down in the late 1800’s. We found the location of the house, brought out the trusty metal detector and found the family iron (minus the handle). A family treasure.