A trip down memory lane & council anger

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Modern cycling is incredibly popular, with many on full carbon fibre bikes, that have been fully tested in the wind tunnel, with a computer running multiple sensors, GPS, Heart Rate, Power output, that wirelessly upload to Internet cloud services, where cyclists can collaborate on rides from all around the world. I have followed many local riders completing epic rides in a multitude of  interstate and overseas locations.

I grew up with the stories (often repeated) of the old man, John Robinson, riding 30km for school every day with his brother Neville. This was back in the early 1940s from Monteagle to Young and back every day; rain, hail or shine, so they could complete high school. I understand few attempted the journey back then, but these days many would consider that a warm up on the gear and roads today.

As a father teaches his son, I was lucky to have such an experienced rider from that era pass on his knowledge and from all reports started off pretty well. I remember one house had a fully bitumen back yard, so guess it was stay up or see blood. Unfortunately I recently received the rider's right of passage of the displaced fractured clavicle, so the plate and screws are reminders to always be aware. Seems dad’s many years of exercise was passed down as I was fortunate enough to go on to ride for Australia.

Andrew Robinson

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Dear Editor

I read Wendy Tuckerman’s words in the Harden Express (November 24) and dwelled for a while on the sentence: ”Like it or not, the merger is here to stay and it will be what we make it. Nothing will be achieved through continued negativity”. A shame she hadn’t taken her own advice when Harden declined the opportunity to merge with Young and Boorowa. She instead immediately started a campaign. These words are taken directly from a Boorowa Council media release on March 15, 2016

Boorowa Council today launches a campaign against the Government’s proposal to merge Boorowa and Young on the basis that second best is not good enough. To the NSW Government’s “Merger of Convenience” the community of Boorowa says no!

“We are urging members of the Boorowa community to attend a public Inquiry meeting on Tuesday, April 5 at Boorowa Ex-Services Club from 6pm,” Boorowa Mayor Wendy Tuckerman said. “It is imperative that our community takes a firm stance against this new proposal. I want to make it clear that this is not about having anything against Young, it is firmly about getting the best outcome for our strong and growing region. The amalgamation of three councils is a better outcome than two on a range of fronts, particularly in terms of the financial advantages and a balance of representation. We are calling for Boorowa residents to come together on April 5, and put forward the case against a two way merger for the benefit of the community.” I thought “Boorowa Says No” sounded pretty negative but negativity is apparently what others engage in when they don’t agree with you.

On the face of it, things worked out great - for administrator Tuckerman. Everything she could have wished for has eventuated. She is the highest power on the new council, answerable only to the Minister, her previous GM from Boorowa, now hilltops GM is the second highest, she has a handpicked team of advisors and everyone is being remunerated for their efforts. This will be relatively short lived, assuming the goalposts aren’t moved by the State Govt. and elections occur in September.

Let’s see the benefits for the old Harden Shire now and in the future. We didn’t get our preferred option of Cootamundra despite numerous government assurances and community support, no one who lives in the old Harden Shire is in senior management, we no longer have our elected councillors, instead we have Ms Tuckerman who as shown above actively lobbied against the outcome most of Harden residents wanted to one she deemed better for her community of Boorowa, staff turnover appears higher under the new system with a number of people leaving council or retiring in recent months, large local developments reportedly in limbo, transition budget costs already blowing out by 1.44 million and with the Office of Local Governments recommendation being for 11 councillors that would mean a councillor for every 1750 people in the future, post elections. Office of local Govt. figures show a population of 3600 people in the old Harden Shire area. Incidentally Boorowa fares even worse with 2500. Young has 12,800 people, so it doesn’t take a genius to work out how this is going to impact on local representation. I am curious as to how this process has or is going to provide the long term  financial and representative benefits quoted to my community in Harden, or Boorowa in the longer term for that matter. Very little to cheer about. 

So, sorry Administrator Tuckerman, the bad taste lingers, and the future looks uncertain at best and downright grim at worst. No amount of grinning State Govt. Ministers holding oversize novelty cheques or pleas to play as a team for the greater good are going to change my mind.

Scott Collins, HARDEN