THE never-ending story of boundary reform hit a bump in the road last week, as Deputy Mayor Nathan Shanks successfully moved a motion to have a $379,500 investigation into boundary reform below the line – one which he projects will save ratepayers 1.5 per cent in their council rates.
With a chamber divided, some elected members were left asking “if not now, then when?”
The arguments for boundary reform are persuasive – most councillors agree that it needs to happen one way or another.
But it also sparked talks of ‘hard decisions’ – a phrase dotted throughout the debate to signify the tough call in balancing council’s long-term financial viability amid an ever-growing cost of living.
And while I could never envy the position of those on council, who are undoubtedly guided by the best interests of the community, the ‘hard decisions’ many residents make every single day are unfathomable.
For some families, their ‘hard decision’ is deciding whether or not to turn on the heater in the thick of winter.
Or deciding what meal of the day to skip in order to stick within a miniscule food budget.
Today, a daily coffee is yet another pipedream to many. For these folk doing it tough, news of any financial relief, no matter how small, would have far more immediate real-world value than the expansion of intangible council borders.
It’s no doubt that shelving the reform in the wake of a population boom outside of council boundaries is a hard decision to make, and a tough pill to swallow for many.
The ubiquitous creature that is boundary reform has prevailed for decades, and surely won’t meet its demise in being moved below the line to cook for a little longer.
But in a time where the word ‘recession’ is on the tip of the tongue, wouldn’t it be nice to let ratepayers take this small win?
