Size Counts With Council Services

Illawarra Mercury

Friday January 5, 2007

CHALPAT SONTI

So you pay rates, but what do you get in return? A State Government report card has ranked NSW local authorities on what they provide and how well their services are used. In the final of our two-part series, CHALPAT SONTI looks at what councils spend on you and how often you take advantage of these services.

IT seems smaller is definitely better when it comes to local authorities spending your money on you.

Kiama residents might pay the highest rates in the Illawarra, but they also get the most spent on them, on a per capita basis.

The municipality, with a population of 20,176, clearly led its bigger neighbours Wollongong and Shellharbour in 2004-05, according to the State Government's Comparative Information of NSW Local Government Councils report.

Kiama spent $356.22 - the seventh highest of the 153 councils in the state - on each of its residents for community services such as halls, child care and senior citizen and youth centres.

By contrast, up the road at Wollongong, residents had just $19.06 spent on them.

Kiama also led the way in recreation and leisure spending in the region - things such as parks, swimming pools and tennis courts - and on environmental and health spending.

Mayor Sandra McCarthy said the increased spending was vital, given the area's make-up.

"We have a lot of retirees and we spend a lot on community transport, home nursing and other services," she said.

Wollongong City Council chief executive Rod Oxley defended his council's low spending per head on services.

"(Population-based) averages are always misleading. As a large regional city we provide a lot of regional facilities like the art gallery, aquatic centre and conservatorium of music as well," he said.

Shellharbour City Council sits in the middle, while its residents pay the lowest average rates in the Illawarra.

Acting general manager Peter O'Rourke said the council was "doing plenty with little".

"That's (because) of our user charges and we've introduced a lot of efficiencies. We're controlling costs," he said.

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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