You are spot on, James. We don't pay councils to make feel good statements as this just puts the cost of them doing business up for the ratepayers. In South Australia, Mitcham council has kindly donated a massive amount of money to promote the yes campaign. Too bad that most people don't want them to spend money on these issues but as you say, we would rather they focus on what they are supposed to do keeping rubbish cleared and roads and parks maintained etc
When u spend $600,000 on a rainbow painted on a park footpath or millions on some stupid artwork and the potholes are not being fixed, bins not collected, footpaths broken it’s time to remove these idiots and get rid of another level of waste
Part of the reason there is a shortage of houses is the endless council building regulations that stop development and building; brainless, endless, complicated, variable administered by petty, arrogant and unhelpful officials.
Absolutely spot on, James! Councils are just a burden for the rest of us when they waste thousands of dollars on minority woke demands.
I went to apply for a renewal of my disabled car sticker. They said to go to Vic Roads. After a lot of being redirected to this or that person, I finally found someone with a brain who told me that the local Council are supposed to renew the sticker. It was part of their job.
Like all of us, I have found councils to be useless and lazy, great at passing the buck and thick as two planks when you need basic help or permission to, for example, cut down a tree that’s in danger of demolishing your house. Yet developers cut down trees left, right and centre during the night and all they get is a rap across the knuckles. The stock answer from Council - ‘We don’t deal with that area’. Very frustrating. Why do we pay these people?! Over government is over manned from the federal level down.
My trust in councils was completely destroyed a long time ago and we’ve been happily renting for the last 21 yrs in various SE QLD areas, with almost no council involvement in our lives apart from garbage removal.
When we moved to Katoomba many years ago, the council were getting bomb threats on a regular basis. It was during the high interest rate period and people (including us) were already overworked, stressed and depressed. It took them about 18 months and 3 written requests for them to give us permission to cut down a few trees around our house. We had a huge block that was mostly covered in trees, so not a big deal to remove a few dangerous ones in a high bush fire area, so we thought!
We later discovered the Bush Fire service would have given us permission in a couple of weeks. Who knew?
Someone stole our wheelie bin and we couldn’t get a new one because they didn’t know whether we were supposed to pay extra for it or not. Isn’t that what rates are actually for? I took our rubbish to work and dropped it in a co-workers bin when I picked him up. 😂 We paid and finally got one and a couple of months later they returned our money. 🤦🏻♀️
Everyone we knew had council problems, no matter what the issue was. They were complete idiots and didn’t care about home owners on any level. The standard line when discussing them was ‘It’s always better to ask forgiveness than permission.’
Our 2 short years in Katoomba gave us an acute sense of ‘stay away’ from all things council unless otherwise warned.
I can’t imagine what the rates are these days in the Blue Mountains or if their council is any good. I do however, hope they’ve improved.
It an arm of government that should run by administrators. After Wollongong council was sacked we had three administrators and we got on fine. Now we have a council things are not as good. Dodging potholes, rainbow crossings, silly safety initiatives asking for information that they should know. We are over governed.
Thank you for all your funny jokes! They are great therapy in a world that's driving us all up the wall with frustration! I was just wondering if you could please finish the following joke for us:
"How many council workers does it take to change a lightbulb?" 😄
To fix this mess that was in my mind to some extent brought on by Shire amalgamations the Shires/Councils will have to be completely dismantled and put back together again. It might also help if the Shires were to small to pay a wage to the Councilors. That would force the leftists parasites to go earn a living elsewhere and leave the rest of us alone.
You are spot on, James. We don't pay councils to make feel good statements as this just puts the cost of them doing business up for the ratepayers. In South Australia, Mitcham council has kindly donated a massive amount of money to promote the yes campaign. Too bad that most people don't want them to spend money on these issues but as you say, we would rather they focus on what they are supposed to do keeping rubbish cleared and roads and parks maintained etc
A flock of sheep, a pride of lions, a troop of monkeys and a loaf of council workers.
It takes 7, 1 to change the bulb & 6 to stand with their arms folded watching.
When u spend $600,000 on a rainbow painted on a park footpath or millions on some stupid artwork and the potholes are not being fixed, bins not collected, footpaths broken it’s time to remove these idiots and get rid of another level of waste
Part of the reason there is a shortage of houses is the endless council building regulations that stop development and building; brainless, endless, complicated, variable administered by petty, arrogant and unhelpful officials.
Another case of ‘go woke go broke.
This one affects all of us unfortunately.
Absolutely spot on, James! Councils are just a burden for the rest of us when they waste thousands of dollars on minority woke demands.
I went to apply for a renewal of my disabled car sticker. They said to go to Vic Roads. After a lot of being redirected to this or that person, I finally found someone with a brain who told me that the local Council are supposed to renew the sticker. It was part of their job.
Like all of us, I have found councils to be useless and lazy, great at passing the buck and thick as two planks when you need basic help or permission to, for example, cut down a tree that’s in danger of demolishing your house. Yet developers cut down trees left, right and centre during the night and all they get is a rap across the knuckles. The stock answer from Council - ‘We don’t deal with that area’. Very frustrating. Why do we pay these people?! Over government is over manned from the federal level down.
My trust in councils was completely destroyed a long time ago and we’ve been happily renting for the last 21 yrs in various SE QLD areas, with almost no council involvement in our lives apart from garbage removal.
When we moved to Katoomba many years ago, the council were getting bomb threats on a regular basis. It was during the high interest rate period and people (including us) were already overworked, stressed and depressed. It took them about 18 months and 3 written requests for them to give us permission to cut down a few trees around our house. We had a huge block that was mostly covered in trees, so not a big deal to remove a few dangerous ones in a high bush fire area, so we thought!
We later discovered the Bush Fire service would have given us permission in a couple of weeks. Who knew?
Someone stole our wheelie bin and we couldn’t get a new one because they didn’t know whether we were supposed to pay extra for it or not. Isn’t that what rates are actually for? I took our rubbish to work and dropped it in a co-workers bin when I picked him up. 😂 We paid and finally got one and a couple of months later they returned our money. 🤦🏻♀️
Everyone we knew had council problems, no matter what the issue was. They were complete idiots and didn’t care about home owners on any level. The standard line when discussing them was ‘It’s always better to ask forgiveness than permission.’
Our 2 short years in Katoomba gave us an acute sense of ‘stay away’ from all things council unless otherwise warned.
I can’t imagine what the rates are these days in the Blue Mountains or if their council is any good. I do however, hope they’ve improved.
Agreed. Sort out the roads and rubbish and stop wasting our hard earned money!
And stop approving skinny roads!
Yes, and stop approving pointless roundabouts and speedbumps too!
I thought that they were supposed to be picking up rubbish,not creating it by funding groups who want us to dance to their tune.
It an arm of government that should run by administrators. After Wollongong council was sacked we had three administrators and we got on fine. Now we have a council things are not as good. Dodging potholes, rainbow crossings, silly safety initiatives asking for information that they should know. We are over governed.
I called my local council and asked if I could have a skip outside my house.
The lady replied, "mate you can do cartwheels and handstands for all I care"
Hi Roc,
Thank you for all your funny jokes! They are great therapy in a world that's driving us all up the wall with frustration! I was just wondering if you could please finish the following joke for us:
"How many council workers does it take to change a lightbulb?" 😄
To fix this mess that was in my mind to some extent brought on by Shire amalgamations the Shires/Councils will have to be completely dismantled and put back together again. It might also help if the Shires were to small to pay a wage to the Councilors. That would force the leftists parasites to go earn a living elsewhere and leave the rest of us alone.
"(Local governments) prefer to meddle in all sorts of things they should have no business in".
Doesn't that pretty much apply to all levels of Australian governments (and international 'governments', depending what you name them)?
It's a societal wide problem that people increasingly turn to the 'government' to fix most problems.
"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem."
Spot on
Good point