“Unforgivable” -Minns blows $5 million on garbage
Last year both Ballina Shire and Lismore City councils voted to privatise their garbage collection services.
In Ballina, the decision was implemented with very little pushback or fanfare, with ratepayers noticing no change to their weekly collection.
The former council-employed garbage collectors were found other positions, possibly more meaningful jobs with a better future and career path.
Ballina Shire expects the move will save ratepayers at least $1 million over coming years with the private operator able to share trucks and resources operating across both Ballina and Byron LGAs. Early numbers suggest the savings will be even higher.
In Lismore the decision played out differently. The United Services Union mounted a campaign to protect the jobs of its members and just before Christmas the Premier Chris Minns intervened. He announced Lismore City Council would be handed $5 million on behalf of NSW taxpayers to keep its inefficient garbage collection service going for the foreseeable future
Taking the lead from Labor’s media spin doctors, local media heralded the decision as a “win win for everyone”.
Certainly it was a very happy Christmas story for the workers, who keep their jobs for the foreseeable future and the conditions that come with working in the local government sector. This includes generous pay and leave entitlements that cannot be matched in the private sector or even in many other government essential services jobs.
It is also a tremendous win for Lismore MP Janelle Saffin, who, like every ALP member, is beholden to the unions. She certainly delivered well for her comrades.
Arguably it is less of a win for the Premier Chris Minns. Despite his “new Labor” image, he has unwittingly unmasked his true self. Like any old Labor premier from days gone by, Mr Minns is apparently willing to ignore principles of good policy if it suits his union bosses.
Absolutely it’s a bad deal for NSW taxpayers. Spending $5 million propping up Lismore’s inefficient garbage collection service could hardly be seen as a wise decision. Especially at a time when so many are facing cost of living pressures and essential services such as police, ambulances and hospitals are crying out for more.
Nor is it a win for long-suffering Lismore ratepayers. Councillors made the painful decision to move to a more efficient collection system (as so many other local councils have done). Now they will have to go through it all over again when new garbage trucks purchased with the NSW tax dollars start wearing out.
No wonder ratepayers in Lismore LGA pay so much more than those in Ballina Shire. At a time when households are doing it tough, elected politicians wasting money to subside the union movement is simply unforgivable.
