A SURVEY showing Bulahdelah residents are unhappy with Great Lakes Council should be taken seriously but “used in conjunction with other information at hand”, according to a councillor.
The community survey drew 66 responses from Bulahdelah, population 1100, in March 2008.
A report on the findings made available last month suggests the town is the most disenfranchised in the Great Lakes.
More than 54 per cent of respondents were either ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with their council’s performance, compared to 13.6 per cent ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied.’
The remaining 31.8 per cent claimed average satisfaction.
The report listed the main sources of displeasure as the level of planning for the town’s future, maintenance of unsealed roads, encouragement of employment and the way council employees interact with the public.
“In terms of the overall thrust of the survey, the council is extremely concerned that some people feel neglected,” councillor Len Roberts said.
But he stressed that since the survey was optional and involved a small sample of the Bulahdelah population, it was a limited guide to locals’ priorities.
“The respondents were volunteers, and because people responding were those motivated to respond, you tend to have [responses from] people extremely dissatisfied with the council,” Cr Roberts said.
“You could have people who are very pro-development saying the planning staff need to pull their socks up, or you could have anti-development people saying the same.”
Bulahdelah information centre’s Allan Freihaut said the anti-council feeling could be misdirected resentment about the NSW Planning Department rezoning the town as a 25-year zero growth area.
The plan was abandoned after a meeting between council, government and town representatives.
“I think you’re going to get [dissatisfaction with local government] in any town, it doesn’t matter where you are,” Mr Freihaut said.
“The [department’s rezoning] could have something to do with the [survey] response about planning. People may be confusing the two issues.”
Cr Roberts said he understood frustration over deteriorating gravel roads, but the council rarely had the money to fix them.
“It’s not surprising people in outlying areas feel forgotten. People in Forster are closer to services and don’t feel as disenfranchised,” he said.
“But councillors realise this, and that’s why there has been a conscious decision to use the latest federal infrastructure funding to do what they can for these outlying areas.”
As part of a $1.1 million grant allocated in November 2008 and delivered last month, the council has assigned $112,000 to an upgrade of Bulahdelah’s Wade Park, $30,000 for improvements to the Stroud Rd picnic area and $65,000 for new tennis courts at North Arm Cove.
The money could not be used on roads.
The survey drew a total of 1284 respondents. Forster and Tuncurry provided the greatest endorsement for the council, with 30.1 per cent ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’. Of Pacific Palms’ 184 respondents, 24.1 per cent gave the same response.
Nabiac was the least satisfied area after Bulahdelah, with 45 per cent claiming below-average satisfaction.
Email a friend