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THURSDAY 15 March 2012
Towns divided over sewerage scheme
A substantial number of residents of the last two towns proposed for connection to a reticulated sewerage system under Cabonne Council's "Four towns sewerage scheme" are calling for the scheme to be suspended pending a rethink. A meeting of some 60 residents at Yeoval last week voted overwhelming in favour of pausing the scheme while the Council provided up to date information on: • How much voluntary levy money and interest has accrued since the levy scheme commenced in 1999 • How long before sewer construction will be finished. • What is the final expected cost of the system and what will be the ongoing costs to ratepayers. Residents expressed concern that, after all these years, a fresh review was needed. The town is in decline, around 70% of ratepayers are pensioners and they are unsure that the sewerage system now proposed is the correct one - or even warranted. Meanwhile, in Cumnock, a similar meeting was held with a show of hands indicating a 38 to 18 vote in favour of the sewerage scheme proceeding as proposed. However a substantial number of residents have expressed concern over the conduct of this meeting. These residents were critical of the fact that the Cumnock Progress Association were provided information not available to them before the meeting. They were also concerned that they were not given
the opportunity to present the results of a formal petition they had circulated - where some 70 ratepayers had called for a suspension of the scheme. It is claimed that many of these residents did not attend the meeting, thinking their views would be counted. Council was not involved in either meeting. A copy of information provided to the Progress Association indicates that since the voluntary levy was introduced: • Net Rates collected [not sure what "net" means here] Yeoval $866,011, Cumnock $804,016. • Interest earned: Yeoval $240,729, Cumnock $232,159. • Expenditure committed Yeoval $528,542, Cumnock $469,870. Yeoval residents have appointed a committee to write to the Council seeking further information.
$1.50 inc GST
INSIDE THIS WEEK Cabonne Countrywide at Manildra P.3 Cumnock Show Program P.9 Molong NSW State Championship Sheep Dog Trials P.3
Page 2 The "One Town at Cricket P.16 a Time Sewerage End of the Bulls? P.16 Scheme"
"Look at what we have created"
The front grounds of the Molong and District PreSchool are undergoing a major change with colourful sculptures of imaginative shapes created by local artist (and preschool mum of Thibault) Heidi Lefebvre with the help of equally imaginative preschoolers. Heidi (third left at the back) is an inspiring artist who loves to design large sculptures. Some of her other local works stand in the grounds of the Orange
Hospital/Bloomfield Hospital grounds. David Mills (father of preschoolers Paris and Juliette) cut the designs which were then powder-coated into brilliant colours by an Orange supplier. Belinda Mills has been helping to plant new shrubs at the front of the preschool and the new central stairway. Take a look at this wonderful new and colourful space. It's a great local project and the preschoolers are 'proud'.