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Katie Woolf spoke with Litchfield Council Maree Bredhauer · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.
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  Speaker 2: You are our eyes and ears in the territory mixed
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  Speaker 2: one oh four point nine. We know that rates for
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  Speaker 2: property owners in the Litchfield Council will rise by five
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  Speaker 2: percent this financial year. That percentage increase equates to about
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  Speaker 2: forty five extra a year four rate payers and is
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  Speaker 2: part of the approved twenty twenty one twenty two municipal plan.
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  Speaker 2: Now joining us on the line to talk further about
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  Speaker 2: this and what it means for local residents is the
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  Speaker 2: Mayor of Litchfield, Marie brad Howe.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 2: Now, obviously the rate rise has gone up by five percent,
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  Speaker 2: It does seem like quite a bit. Why have you
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  Speaker 2: gone down the path of increasing it by this amount?
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  Speaker 1: So five percent is part of our long term financial
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  Speaker 1: plan to ensure that the municipality is sustainable into the future.
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  Speaker 1: And this particular budget and our municipal plan really does
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  Speaker 1: highlight the need to make chain our over five hundred
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  Speaker 1: million dollars worth of asset base that we do have,
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  Speaker 1: and the plan for the next twelve months is around
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  Speaker 1: maintenance of that asset baseed to what is an acceptable
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  Speaker 1: standard for our community. So while we're doing that, we're
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  Speaker 1: still putting considerable amount of money into our roads, two
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  Speaker 1: point six million dollars in fact, and another million dollars
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  Speaker 1: on road safety upgrades. We need to remember that Lichfield
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  Speaker 1: Municipality has seven hundred kilometers of roads to deal with,
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  Speaker 1: and that's you know, that's quite a big flight of
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  Speaker 1: our budget any in any year.
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  Speaker 2: So with I mean with the rates for those of
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  Speaker 2: us I guess in Darwin, we know that that means
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  Speaker 2: sort of curbside rubbish collection and a few things like that.
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  Speaker 2: Is what the rates cover. What does it cover for
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  Speaker 2: those out in the rural area, well.
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  Speaker 1: For the rural area and for everywhere really, it covers
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  Speaker 1: all all of the things that the municipality, the council
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  Speaker 1: on behalf of the municipality looks after that, that's roads,
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  Speaker 1: it's our community, our community infrastructure, our reserves, and then
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  Speaker 1: the support of those community groups as well, just like
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  Speaker 1: our other neighboring councils do. And the and of course
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  Speaker 1: the rubbish and the waste transfer station again a big
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  Speaker 1: slice of our budget.
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  Speaker 2: Now I know that there is a survey underway at
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  Speaker 2: the moment. It's conducted annually chi and it is aimed
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  Speaker 2: a sort of getting some further data from Litchfield residents.
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  Speaker 2: That is happening. Now, what sort of info are you're
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  Speaker 2: hoping to gather and what are you asking residents?
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  Speaker 1: So the annual survey is certainly now open and we
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  Speaker 1: are keen to hear from residents those responses to all
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  Speaker 1: sorts of things around what are the things that are
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  Speaker 1: in the community that our residents hole near and dear
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  Speaker 1: and we need to perhaps improve on, or they can
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  Speaker 1: even congratulate us on the great work we do in
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  Speaker 1: those areas if they like, which is always nice to hear,
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  Speaker 1: of course. And that so that covers a whole multitude
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  Speaker 1: of things, from our waste reserves, from our thorac regional
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  Speaker 1: cemetery that the Council maintains, our general reserves, roads, everything
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  Speaker 1: that the Council does. So that information, when we get
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  Speaker 1: it back, we deconstruct it and have a look at it,
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  Speaker 1: and then it informs what are the things for the
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  Speaker 1: future that we do need to concentrate on for our
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  Speaker 1: residents because they're the things that our residents care about.
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  Speaker 2: Marie, we have got a question from one of our
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  Speaker 2: listeners wondering why it's gone, why the rates have gone
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  Speaker 2: up five percent when in other municipalities it's around three percent.
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  Speaker 1: That is part of our long term view of where
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  Speaker 1: our needs for the community, and in fact our rates are,
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  Speaker 1: in fact, when you look at our neighboring councils, are
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  Speaker 1: the second lowest across the territory and in fact considerably
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  Speaker 1: less around three hundred dollars less than what rate payers
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  Speaker 1: would pay if they lived in our nearest neighbor of Palmiston.
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  Speaker 2: Now, I understand that there is a bit happening at
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  Speaker 2: the moment in terms of the council sort of hosting
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  Speaker 2: some workshops with local government, with the Local Government Association
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  Speaker 2: of the NT so legant about you know, it's what
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  Speaker 2: it means to be a councilor or for those who
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  Speaker 2: are wanting to potentially become counselors. Because we know that
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  Speaker 2: the local council elections are going to be happening in August.
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  Speaker 2: How important is it. Do you reckon that if people
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  Speaker 2: are keen to have a crack at becoming a counselor,
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  Speaker 2: that they actually go along to these types of things
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  Speaker 2: to work out what it's all about.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, certainly, I think it's exceedingly important because it is
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  Speaker 1: at those sorts of meanings that people get to really
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  Speaker 1: understand the multitude and the complexities of the work of
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  Speaker 1: council and how a funding happens, and what the democratic process,
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  Speaker 1: how the democratic process works within within the council chambers.
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  Speaker 1: And so it is important for any person who is
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  Speaker 1: who is thinking about putting their hand up to be
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  Speaker 1: nominated for and nominating for counsel to come along and
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  Speaker 1: just you know, hear the stories and here the stories
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  Speaker 1: of I'll be that I'll be attending those meetings, as
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  Speaker 1: will my fellow counselors, so you can hear the real
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  Speaker 1: story of how counsel works.
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  Speaker 2: And Maria, are you going to be putting your hand
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  Speaker 2: up for the mayor spot again this year?
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  Speaker 1: Yes, I certainly am.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it's always an interesting, interesting time, I reckon, and
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  Speaker 2: always interesting to see how many people are keen to
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  Speaker 2: put their hand up, not only in Litchfield but also
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  Speaker 2: in the likes of Palmerston and Darwin. I always think
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  Speaker 2: it's so important that you know that we do have
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  Speaker 2: have plenty of good candidates who want to have a guy.
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  Speaker 1: And absolutely Katie and you know, one of the really
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  Speaker 1: important things is that we have our council represents the
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  Speaker 1: diversity of our community, of all communities, and all communities
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  Speaker 1: need need diversity sitting at around the table, so that
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  Speaker 1: we make sure that that in the conversations we have
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  Speaker 1: we do represent all aspects of the community. And here
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  Speaker 1: in Lichfield we have quite you knows, as do all
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  Speaker 1: of our top end councils, quite a diverse population.
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  Speaker 2: Few more messages coming through, a few more questions from
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  Speaker 2: our listeners this morning, Marie one here that says how
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  Speaker 2: much of the rates planned to increase in the next
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  Speaker 2: stage years.
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  Speaker 1: We had a forecast. It's called the long term Financial Plan,
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  Speaker 1: which is the is the crystal wall view of what
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  Speaker 1: we currently think will be the expenses and the needs
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  Speaker 1: of the community. And and we do have have a
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  Speaker 1: plan to ensure that all of our things are maintained
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  Speaker 1: and all of our assets during Christine conditions for the
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  Speaker 1: future of our community.
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  Speaker 2: And so is there a rate rise on the cards
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  Speaker 2: again for next year?
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  Speaker 1: It is? It is. I think it's in that long
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  Speaker 1: term financial plan, which I say is is the the
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  Speaker 1: perceived look and it can always be changed, but it
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  Speaker 1: does say five percent. And then then there is a
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  Speaker 1: drop into the future years evening out to to I'm
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  Speaker 1: not sure what it is in eight years time. I
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  Speaker 1: don't have that document right in front of me right now.
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  Speaker 2: That's okay, but five percent for next year at least as.
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  Speaker 1: Well, yepe, it does seem.
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  Speaker 2: Like quite a bit to go up sort of in
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  Speaker 2: consecutive years. Usually you would see that drop off. I
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  Speaker 2: would have thought after a year rather than you know,
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  Speaker 2: continuing on five percent.
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  Speaker 1: Well, as as we all know, the sustainability of any
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  Speaker 1: of any organization is important, and the expenses of running
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  Speaker 1: our municipality will always increase, and we really don't know.
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  Speaker 1: One of the things that Lichfield Council and most councils
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  Speaker 1: rely on heavily are those grants and subsidies from from
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  Speaker 1: other both federal and NTI government. And you know, we
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  Speaker 1: can never be sure just exactly how much money we
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  Speaker 1: will get from from other organizations through grants to build
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  Speaker 1: roads and build infrastructure and stuff. So we do need
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  Speaker 1: to be mindful of our own source revenue.
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  Speaker 2: Another one here, this one from JK and Humpty Doo.
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  Speaker 2: What says, well, fee, can you ask the mayor how
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  Speaker 2: much of this revenue collected by council goes to staff wages.
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  Speaker 1: An appropriate percentage of that figure goes to ensuring that
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  Speaker 1: we have we have staff who are able to fulfill
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  Speaker 1: the needs of the community to run the council.
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  Speaker 2: Are the staffing operational costs quite high for Litchfield Council though,
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  Speaker 2: I guess is the essence of that question.
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  Speaker 1: They're no higher than any other And in fact, and
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  Speaker 1: in fact we at Lichfield punch way above our weight.
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  Speaker 1: We have one of the in ratio of staff members
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  Speaker 1: to our total budget. Our ratio is very good in
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  Speaker 1: terms of the number of people, but we do have
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  Speaker 1: employed to do the work to maintain that budget. So,
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  Speaker 1: as I said, we do punch way above our weight
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  Speaker 1: in terms of efficiency for our council. Well, Marie, you've
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  Speaker 1: got our residence, you've.
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  Speaker 2: Got the listeners going now this morning. There is one
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  Speaker 2: here that says there are documents that so there's going
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  Speaker 2: to be a forty percent increase to rates over eight years.
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  Speaker 2: Is that the case? I don't believe, So all right,
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  Speaker 2: we'll have to go and have a look at those
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  Speaker 2: documents and find out what the goal is just on
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  Speaker 2: that ratio, what is this like? How many staff do
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  Speaker 2: the Lichfield Council have.
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  Speaker 1: Currently an approximate number of fifty.
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  Speaker 2: Another one here, Sorry, what was that?
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  Speaker 1: No, it's okay, that's all right.
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  Speaker 2: Another one here. We might be three hundred dollars less,
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  Speaker 2: but we don't get rubbish. Removal says that that person.
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  Speaker 1: The note and that that is a.
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  Speaker 2: I seem to be having an issue with your phone
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  Speaker 2: line there, Marie. I'm not too sure what's going on,
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  Speaker 2: I said, I seem to be having a bit of
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  Speaker 2: an issue with your phone line there. I'm not sure
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  Speaker 2: what's going on.
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  Speaker 1: We'll not sure why that is so well, I.
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  Speaker 2: Can now, but we might leave it there. We have
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  Speaker 2: got a very busy hour lined up Litchfield Council Mayor
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  Speaker 2: Marie brad Howe. We always appreciate your time. Thank you
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  Speaker 2: for chatting with us.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, look forward to hearing it talking to you
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  Speaker 1: in the future.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you,