2022
Incorporating
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Phone: (03) 5775 2115
UNI OFFERS COME IN
Page 5
$1.50 (inc.GST)
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VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL Pages 22-24
PURCELL RIDES INTO NOMINATION
Sport
SUMMER SNOW USUALLY on high alert battling fires across the High Country at this time of year, amazingly this CFA vehicle was almost snowed in on Mt Buller last week. PHOTO: Samuel O’Brien
Abolish local council?
RECENT polling commissioned by the Herald Sun and completed by RedBridge Group claims to show that the majority of Victorians want local councils abolished. Of the 1,189 respondents, 44.6 per cent voted in favour of abolishing councils, 36.9 per cent voted no and 18.5 per cent were unsure. Results also showed that 41 per cent supported the state government taking control of all services local
P ll claims Poll l i majority j i want state gov to controll llocall councils. il A de-amalgamated Mansfield Shire unimpressed g p BY SHAUN McMAHON smcmahon@ nemedia.com.au
councils currently provide, while around 24 per cent opposed the move, 20 per cent were neutral and approximately 10 per cent were unsure. The state of Victoria currently has 79 local
government areas. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was asked whether the state government had plans to step in to fill the role of local government. “I don’t comment on polling,” the Premier said. “I think local government staff work hard and I think there are many services delivered in partnership. “It isn’t a matter for me to
be a commentator on local government. “There are local government elections every four years and ratepayers and residents can pass their own judgement on their ward councillor or the council as they see fit. “That’s the beauty of our democratic system.” The poll also showed 40.2 per cent of respondents
thought their local council had the right priorities; 33.2 per cent thought they had wrong priorities and 26.6 per cent were unsure. Ratepayers Victoria vice-president Dean Hurlston told the Herald Sun the results spoke for themselves. “The results demonstrate that all Victorians are growing increasingly tired
of councils,” he said. “What councils need to win community confidence is to do the basics better and more efficiently. “We would agree that amalgamations would be a great thing for Victoria, providing those amalgamations resulted in more efficient councils.” Twenty years ago, Mansfield was part of a much larger shire, until locals voted in favour of deamalgamation. ■ Continued page 3
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