Showing posts with label cost shifting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cost shifting. Show all posts

Monday 15 May 2023

Doesn't matter which major party forms government in New South Wales, they all have cost-shifting onto local government down to a fine art

 

There are 128 local councils in New South Wales and this month the new Minns Labor Government decided to demonstrate that it too knows how to cost shift onto the third tier of government just like the preceding Baird-Berejiklian-Perrottet coalition state government.


Minns and Cabinet decided to test the waters with the Emergency Services Levy on 28 April 2023.


From local councils, Revenue NSW collects payments that account for 11.7% of the costs of fire and emergency services in NSW. From insurers of property in the state it collects the remainder of the levy which is paid as part of insurance premiums. Payment is in four instalments over the relevant financial year.


In 2022-23 the Revenue NSW collection target for the Emergency Services Levy was $1.17 billion, with local councils paying est. $143 million of that total. It would appear that the 2023-24 target is significantly higher, with the total annual local government contribution expected to rise to est. $219 million - a 53.1% increase.


According to Clarence Valley Council's financial statements: in the 2019 financial year the Emergency Services Levy cost to council was $952,000; in 2020 it rose to $995,000; in 2021 it rose again to $1,131,000; and in 2022 this cost fell to $752,000.


As late as September 2022 IPART had been telling local government that: The NSW Government has undertaken to fully fund the increase in councils’ 2023-24 emergency services levy (ESL) contributions, so the rate peg does not include increases in the cost of the ESL.


Local Government NSW, News,1 May 2023:


Emergency Service Levy increase will be catastrophic for councils


The newly elected NSW Government has kicked off its first term in the worst possible way by sending NSW council budgets into meltdown, forcing them to shed jobs, close services and scrap infrastructure plans.


Councils’ peak body, Local Government NSW (LGNSW), said the decision to apply sky-high increases in the Emergency Services Levy (ESL) would be catastrophic for many councils, and could see some become insolvent.


LGNSW said that for some councils the unexpected cost hit would all but wipe out any IPART-approved rate rise, shredding budgets already under massive pressure from the combined impact of the pandemic, extreme weather events, high inflation and wage increases.


The ESL is a cost imposed on councils and the insurance industry to fund the emergency services budget in NSW. The majority is paid as part of insurance premiums, with a further 11.7 per cent picked up by councils and 14.6% by the State Government itself.


The ESL is an absolutely blatant cost shift by the State Government,” LGNSW President Cr Darriea Turley AM said.


To make things worse, the ESL has seen stratospheric increases year-on-year to make up for the Government’s unfunded workers' compensation liability for emergency services workers struck down by a range of cancers.


Now it appears councils are being asked to fund massive rises in emergency services budgets, including a 73% increase in the budget allocation to the State Emergency Services (SES).


The levy increase for the State’s 128 councils in 2023/24 alone sits just under $77 million.


To put that in perspective, Hay Shire Council will immediately lose 88.6 per cent of its approved rate rise to the ESL, while Bourke Shire Council will lose 94%, Yass Valley Council will lose 96%, and Tenterfield will lose 119%.


Hornsby council will lose about 75% of its approved rate rise.


This is an alarming development coming late in the council budgeting cycle and well after the IPART’s rates determination for 2023-24.


The effect will leave some councils with insufficient funds to cover cost increases in other areas. These costs will need to be met by cuts to staff and services.”


Cr Turley said the local government sector’s fight was not with emergency services workers, but with a duplicitous and financially unsustainable funding system.


I’m seeking urgent talks with Treasurer Daniel Mookhey where I will ask him to work with councils to develop a fairer funding system,” she said.


This shock increase comes at a time when council budgets are still struggling with flood and bushfire disaster recovery.


When you factor in the inflation and soaring costs we are all facing across the full gamut of our operations, the immediate future looks particularly bleak.


We are urgently calling on the Government to:


  • restore the subsidy for 2023

  • unshackle this payment from council rates

  • develop a fairer, more transparent and financially sustainable method of funding the critically important emergency services that benefit us all.”


Clarence Valley Council, Our Performance, 2023/2024 Operational Plan, excerpt, May 2023:


The Draft Budget does include a 5.4 per cent rate peg which assist to cover cost escalations beyond Council's control such as costs related to materials and constructions, which are up 37 per cent, fuel and utilities, and the Local Government State Award salary and wage negotiations. The recent NSW Government decision to not subsidise the increase in the Emergency Services Levy adds a further strain on Council's resources.


The Echo, article excerpt, 5 May 2023:


At yesterday’s Tweed Shire Council (TSC) meeting it was revealed that the TSC had received the equivalent of a $540,000 levy, a significant increase on what was expected, drawing a quick response from councillors at the ‘bizarre’ and ‘unbelievable’ levy that is putting council in an ‘untenable position’ according to Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry.


The Emergency Services Levy is a contribution paid by all councils that funds all the emergency services across that shire. The issue is that the state government has not only significantly increased the levy, they have removed the subsidy that councils were previously receiving.


The $540,000 represents the equivalent of a 0.85 per cent rate increase,’ explained Tweed Council’s general manager, Troy Green.


That represents one-third of the special rate variation (SRV) that we’ve asked for.’


The Council can not use the SRV to pay for the levy as, if approved, it would have to be spent on the areas identified in the request for the SRV.


Council unfortunately has received this notification outside our rating cycle. So we have not been able to factor this in,’ said Cr Cherry.


The Council had budgeted for a four per cent increase in the emergency services levy, however, the increase by the state government for the next financial year is 24.28 per cent.


Monday 7 June 2021

Morrison Coalition Government to reduce or remove Medicare rebates on 900 orthopaedic, heart and general surgery procedures from 1 July 2021

 

Australian Medical Association (AMA) Media Centre, 6 June 2021:


Government in danger of history repeating with Medicare rebate changes


Just weeks before the biggest changes to Medicare in decades, the Federal Government and the private health sector are grappling with the huge number of changes that have only just been released, leading to the potential for chaos for patients.


More than 900 Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for rebates for private surgery are set to change on 1 July as part of the MBS Review of all 5,700 Medicare rebates.


The latest changes will affect rebates for orthopaedic surgery, general surgery and heart surgery.


The AMA is concerned that the private healthcare sector – including health funds, hospitals, doctors and patients – will not be ready for the 1 July changes due to poor implementation by the Government,” AMA President, Dr Omar Khorshid, said today.


Less than one month out from the implementation of these changes, and we still do not have all the information we need to assess and change over our schedules and payment processes to reflect the changes.


We had enough problems in November 2018 when the first tranche of MBS Review changes resulted in private health insurers, through no fault of their own, not having their schedules updated in time.


That meant that no-gap arrangements were not possible or were significantly delayed leading to uncertainty for doctor and patient alike.


Patients were left out of pocket, spinal surgeries were delayed, and doctors couldn’t provide patients with informed financial consent about potential gap fees.


Those changes involved replacing 70 spinal surgery items with 60 new items.


The 1 July changes involve expected changes to 594 orthopaedic surgery items, 150 general surgery items, and 188 cardiac surgery items.


After the spinal surgery debacle, the AMA and the private health sector told the Department of Health that six months’ lead time is needed ahead of MBS changes.


More than two years later, we are facing the same problems, but with more than ten-fold the volume and complexity.


This will put significant financial and operational risk on health insurers and private hospitals, and leaves doctors and patients scrambling and confused about what and how to bill against Medicare and private health insurance policies come 1 July. We simply don’t know what the rebates from funds will be, as they haven’t had the time to prepare and release them in advance – including for surgeries already booked for next month.


The AMA and other medical groups have worked in good faith with the Government and the MBS Review Taskforce since 2015 to ensure that Medicare provides value to patients and taxpayers, and that it continues to be sustainable.


We have repeatedly reached out to Government and the Department of Health to communicate the needs of the sector to ensure a smooth transition of the MBS changes.


However, giving the sector just weeks instead of months to change over its entire system to support almost 1000 changes leaves the health system and patients at risk.


"The Government's reminder to doctors to consider patients' circumstances when charging fees misses the point. At the moment there's no way for doctors to know if they are charging a gap due to the chaos caused by the Department's poor implementation."


The AMA is calling on the Government to urgently commit to changing the process going forward to avoid past problems, and ensure that this massive change to MBS rebates occurs without disruption to patient care.


We are also calling on the Government and private health insurers to safeguard patient private health insurance rebates, to ensure that they are not worse off financially, for undergoing orthopaedic, general or cardiac surgery after 1 July due to implementation issues with the MBS.”


ENDS


The Advertiser, 6 June 2021:


Patients could find themselves more than $10,000 out of pocket for common surgeries, as radical changes to the Medicare rebate scheme are introduced.


More than 900 procedures – including hip, shoulder, hand, cardiac and other surgeries – will be affected in the overhaul next month, with doctors warning it will create “total chaos”.


In some areas, such as shoulder surgery, one in four of the existing items have disappeared, so there will be no Medicare or health fund rebate – patients will have to either pay the full cost or do without the surgery.


Some tendon procedures for elbow surgeries have also been wiped and, with no Medicare or health fund rebate, could cost patients $7000 to $10,000. As well, fee cuts for hip arthroplasty could deliver a $1200 gap.


Young people and those playing sport are among the worst affected. They are faced with having to fully fund their own microsurgery for an extremely common hip condition. Femoro-acetabular impingement syndrome – where extra bone grows along the hip joint causing an irregular shape and painful rubbing – is no longer allowed as a diagnosis.


The Australian Medical Association said we were now the only medically advanced country not to recognise this diagnosis or treatment through a hip arthroscopy….


The changes are the result of the federal government’s long-running Medicare Benefits Review that was meant to modernise the 38-year-old system.


Doctors said they would continue to charge the fees they do now but many Medicare rebates will go down or disappear, increasing the gap fees patients pay. Health funds have not yet updated their rebate systems and doctors are currently unable to give patients proper informed financial consent about any out-of-pocket fees for surgery they are booking for after July 1.

[my yellow highlighting]


NOTE:


According to the Federal Government Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, as at June 2018 there were 693 public hospitals and 657 private hospitals in Australia supplying 3.9 beds per 1,000 head of population. Depending on urgency level pre-COVID-19 optimum waiting times for surgery at public hospitals ranged from up to est. 30 days to 365 days between diagnosis and surgery. While pre-COVID-19 private hospital waiting times were generally days to weeks. Given the projected additional expense of certain surgeries in private hospitals after 1 July this year, it would take only a relatively small drift of patients opting to forego private hospital admission in favour of public hospital admission to make public waiting times go through the roof.


Monday 8 March 2021

Morrison government is facing growing backlash from the disability community over a plan to introduce “independent assessments” to the national disability insurance scheme by the middle of this year


These are the private assessors that the Morrison Government announced it has contracted eight companies to do ‘independent' assessments on people who are current participants or applying to enter into the National Disability Insurance Scheme.


Having supplied little more than business names for these independent assessors, this is the scant information I have collected since reading The Guardian news article of 7 March 2021.


1. Outlook Matters Psychology, Innovative Rehab, Pain NT - business names for Victorian for profit company Outlook Matters Pty Ltd offering Therapeutic Supports and Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood (deafness & mental health).


2. Konekt Limiteda company listed on the stock exchange has 9 for profit subsidiaries. Provides organisational health and risk management solutions. Its 4 directors have backgrounds in banking, accounting, marketing, financial services, health insurance and one was formerly a senior executive in Rupert Murdoch’s infamous London-based News International PLC and currently chairs a data centre company, NEXTDC Limited.


3. Rehab Management (Aust) Pty Ltd – occupational rehabilitation and corporate health services provider. One of 5 for profit subsidiaries belonging to Arriba Group Pty Ltd. It has offices in all states and territories


4. Access Care Network Australia Pty Ltd – registered as a charity this WA company provides advice, support and referral to enable people to remain living in their own homes.


5. IPAR Rehabilitationfor profit provider of injury prevention, occupational rehabilitation and return to work services in Australia, with offices in every state and territory.


6. Advanced Personnel Management (APM) – member of the multinational APM Group, acts as a for profit employment agency for people with illness, injury or disability.


7. HealthStrong Pty Ltd - a for profit residential aged care and home care provider owned by Australia’s second largest health insurance company Medicare Private Limited.


8. Allied Care Group a subsidiary of Zenitas Healthcare Ltd, a for profit home care provider listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (formerly known as Zenitas Healthcare Limited, BGD Corporation Ltd, Boulder Steel Ltd, Boulder Group Nl, Boulder Gold N.L).


This panel will be in place for three years, with the option for the National Disability Agency (NDIA) to extend it for two more years.



BACKGROUND


The Guardian, 7 March 2021:


The Morrison government is facing growing backlash from the disability community over a plan to introduce “independent assessments” to the national disability insurance scheme by the middle of the year.


Under the current process, applicants submit evidence from experts, including their specialists, and these reports are evaluated by the National Disability Insurance Agency.


From mid-2021 they will undergo an “independent assessment” by an allied health professional employed by one of eight contracted providers paid by the government.


The changes have sparked widespread backlash, including from a coalition of 25 disability advocacy groups which this week called for the plan to be scrapped.


They said their clients had expressed “acute fears regarding the risks to their health, wellbeing and access to reasonable and necessary supports”.


Labor, the Greens, and the Liberal MP Russell Broadbent have also suggested the change is a cost-cutting exercise, a claim strongly denied by the government.


The government argues that people with disabilities and their families are now forced to spend money collecting reports from experts. This has meant outcomes have been inconsistent and too often based on where a person lives or their access to health professionals.


This week the NDIS minister, Stuart Robert, released data showing plans were worth more on average in more affluent electorates in Adelaide, compared with less wealthy areas.


The government says the assessments – which will be free of charge and last about three hours on average – will create an easier, “streamlined” process.


Yet some people who have already taken part in an independent assessment have been highly critical of the plan.


Aaron Carpenter, a 41-year-old who lives with autism and agreed to take part in the pilot program, told the Guardian the experience had been “dehumanising”.


When he applied for the scheme, Carpenter’s own clinical psychologist wrote a report outlining the functional impact of his disability.


He questioned why his independent assessment was instead conducted by a physiotherapist.


Carpenter said he was asked many “yes or no” questions with “no context” and was at one point asked to complete a “task”, which was to make a cup of tea.


The NDIA has told participants the assessments include questions “about your life and what matters to you, and ask to see how you approach some everyday tasks”, and will also include some “standardised assessment tools”.


Carpenter said: “There’s a level of trauma that comes with disability and it’s through being made to be like a dancing monkey.


We almost have to tell our story every single time we see somebody. To do that with a complete stranger, over the course of an hour or two, cannot capture us at all.”


After the assessment was finished, Carpenter applied to the NDIA for a copy of the independent assessor’s report.


He was dismayed when he saw a section titled “self-harm” was listed as “not-applicable”.


When I have a bit of a sensory meltdown, it’s not nice,” he said. “I will punch things, I’ll punch myself, I’ll pull my clothing off.


Probably my biggest impairment is being able to manage sensory input to the point where I don’t have meltdowns.”


Nicole Rogerson’s 25-year-old son, Jack, also lives with autism and took part in the pilot.


Rogerson, the chief executive of Autism Awareness Australia, told Guardian Australia she had “open mind” and understood why the agency had proposed the changes.


But she was so dissatisfied by the process she cut her son’s assessment short.


It’s just sort of, sit down, the laptop comes out, out comes a manual of questions, and the testing begins,” she said.


Some of the questions were about his capability in certain areas. And he’d be sitting there saying, ‘Oh, yeah, I can do a lot.’ It was, ‘Do you do all your own cooking?’ and he’d be like, ‘Oh, yeah, I can cook.’ There’s a big difference between whether you can cook something and, ‘Can you live independently?’


He was answering incorrectly, not meaning to. And she’s noting all this down. My concern was, how good are these assessors? Do they know about autism, and/or intellectual disability? Are these answers going to be considered ‘the answers’?”


Rogerson said her son had been asked to take the garbage out during the assessment and eventually she could see him “starting to feel really low about himself”.


She was worried about how the assessments might impact the mental health of some participants.


She’s asking him, ‘How does your disability affect your job? And he’s saying, ‘Oh, no, I’ve got a job. I’m fine.’


And he’s looking at me like, why is this woman asking him to rate his own disability, of which he doesn’t really like talking about or think he has one.”...


Critics have compared the independent assessments to Abbott government reforms introduced for the disability support pension, which helped drive a large reduction in successful claims.


Jordon Steele-John, a Greens senator who lives with cerebral palsy, claimed the government was using the assessments as “a tool to reduce the number of people on NDIS”.


That is their objective,” he told the Guardian. “They may dress it up in whatever bureaucratic language they want, but they want to knock people off the scheme.”


Labor’s NDIS spokesman, Bill Shorten, told a rally last month the government’s independent assessments plan was “nothing less than a complete all-out assault to undermine the NDIS”.


A spokesperson for Robert said the changes were based on the Productivity Commission’s original design for the scheme and on recommendations from the 2019 Tune review into the NDIS Act.


He rejected suggestions there had been no consultation, adding that over the past three months there had been “additional consultation to support the rollout of independent assessments”.


These reforms, in addition to the already significant improvements to wait times, deliver on this roadmap and will set up the NDIS for the future – an NDIS that works for everyone,” he said.


All new applicants will need to undergo a mandatory independent assessment under the government’s plan, while the scheme’s existing 440,400 participants will be subjected to an assessment when their plan comes up for review.


The government is expected to release draft legislation shortly, before a bill is introduced to parliament that will allow the changes to come into effect by mid-2021.


Monday 2 September 2019

NSW Berejiklian Coalition Government will no longer offer $250 pa council rates rebate to new pensioners from 2020?


It has been on the NSW Government agenda for some years now, but it is looking highly likely that the Berejiklian Liberal-Nationals Government is going to scrap the annual $250 rates rebate for homeowners holding a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card for all but existing Age, Veterans Affairs TPI/EDA, War Widow and Disability Support pensioners.

All future homeowning pensioners will instead be able to defer the first $1,000 of their annual rate payments (CPI indexed), with full payment of the debt (plus interest) on sale of the house/unit/flat.

The Daily Examiner, 30 August 2019, p.4: 

Council has expressed disappointment at being unable to provide feedback on a critical pensioner concession. 

After the Office of Local Government invited feedback on the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s report into the review of the Local Government Rating System, Deputy Mayor Jason Kingsley moved a motion to have council express disappointment there was no further consultation on the pensioner concession. 

Clarence Valley Council was able to provide feedback on a raft of recommendations by IPART but could not comment on a proposal to introduce a scheme to allow eligible pensioners to defer up to $1000 of their rates. 


Cr Kingsley was scathing in his assessment of the scheme which he said appeared “has been decided” and involved indexing the rates to CPI to be paid when the house was sold. 

“Not only is the recommendation to remove the current $250 concession in lieu of the deferral... but it will also be charged interest until the full amount is recovered,” he said. 

“So the financial legacy the pensioner was hoping to leave to their families may be eaten up in deferred rate charges as well as interest.” 

Cr Karen Toms as “devil’s advocate” said while she agreed with the motion on the principle that they had not been able to provide feedback, she was “a little bit torn” as the council spends about $1 million on pensioner subsidies each year. 

“I actually quite liked the idea of perhaps deferring it. I know it sounds mercenary perhaps but the reality is that house is going to be sold one day. I am torn a little bit,” she said. 

Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis said since 2011 the NSW Government had invested $694 million to help pensioners make ends meet and IPART’s recommendation to create a rate deferral scheme had been ruled out. 

“It is important to strike a balance between providing rebates and continuing to fund the services that local communities need – services such as hospitals, roads, education and child care.” he said. 

In 2017 when the issue was last raised, council did not support the recommendation to introduce rate deferrals and said it was “council’s strong view pensioner concession must be fully funded by the State Government”. 

“A rate deferral scheme is problematic in local government areas with a high proportion of pensioners and low property values as it may result in less than full recovery of deferred debts from sale of properties and create cash flow issues for the council” the resolution from the October 18 meeting stated.....

Friday 16 August 2019

Northern Rivers landowners can breathe a sigh of relief, council rates will not rise sharply this year


Northern Rivers local governments and landowners have had a reprieve - for now.

One increase in NSW Government charges on local councils will not go ahead and Clarence Valley Council will not have to find an additional $260,000 this financial year.

However, there is no guarantee that by July 2020 the emergency services levy hike will not again be back on the books and, there is also no guarantee that the Berejiklian Government's plan to abandon unimproved value as the baseline for land rate calculations is either dead, buried or cremated.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 August 2019:

The NSW government is backflipping on a controversial plan to force councils across the state to pay for a $14 million emergency services levy hike.
The Berejiklian government wanted the state's 128 councils to share the financial burden of the increase in the emergency services levy to fund reforms to workers’ compensation for firefighters suffering from work-related cancers.

The move follows a radical proposal to change the way NSW council rates are calculated, that would drive up costs for owners of expensive apartments, and steep increases in waste management fees in some council areas.
The emergency services levy hike was opposed by the local government sector, which voiced concerns that the increase, which varied in amounts between areas, would force councils to cut funds to services and facilities.
Local Government NSW president Linda Scott said that councils' share of the emergency services budget was embedded in council rates, with additional costs recovered through insurance premiums.....
In 2017, Premier Gladys Berejiklian's shelved plans for a new system to fund fire and emergency services in response to backlash over sharp increases in what some property owners would pay.
Labor's local government spokesman Greg Warren said the decision to grant NSW's councils a year-long reprieve from the levy increase was "little comfort to councils across the state".
"This is another backflip from the government on this issue, they've simply kicked the can down the road.....

Ms Hancock said the government would continue to "consult with local councils to better manage the impacts of the emergency services levy, especially on their annual budgeting cycles".

Sunday 2 September 2018

PACIFIC HIGHWAY UPGRADE: Time for the NSW MP for Clarence and Federal MP for Page to front their respective ministers and insist this cost-shifting onto local ratepayers does not occur


Clarence Valley Council, media release, 27 August 2018:

Mayor: Jim Simmons LOCKED BAG 23 GRAFTON NSW 2460
General Manager: Ashley Lindsay Telephone: (02) 6643 0200
Fax: (02) 6642 7647

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 27, 2018

Some highway concerns remain for Clarence Valley Council

Clarence Valley Mayor, Jim Simmons, talks with Ulmarra residents today about their concerns about some of the arrangements that will be in place when the new highway opens.

THE Clarence Valley Council will call on the State and Federal governments to address a range of serious safety, access and cost issues related to the construction of the new Pacific Highway.

Council last week agreed to lobby the Deputy Prime Minister (as Minister For Infrastructure and Transport); the Federal Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government; the Member for Page; the NSW Premier; the NSW Minister for Roads; the NSW Minister for Local Government, and; the Member for Clarence in order to have some proposed arrangements relating to the new highway addressed.

Councillors were told there was a planned exit from the new highway at Eight Mile Lane, Glenugie, but it was not designed to cater for B-Doubles. That would mean many B-Doubles wanting to travel into or out of Grafton would have to use the proposed interchange at Tyndale.

Council’s works and civil director, Troy Anderson, said the planned B-Double route to and from Grafton would result in large numbers of B-Doubles travelling along the existing Pacific Highway and through Ulmarra and Tyndale.

“The communities of Tyndale and Ulmarra and all residences in between will still be subjected to significant B-Double movements through their villages,” he said.
“The residents in those areas have expressed concern about safety and noise.”

A further concern was that the Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) maintenance of Eight Mile Lane.

“Despite a motorway exit and entry being planned at Eight Mile Lane, there are no plans to change its local road classification, leaving funding for maintenance and any upgrade works up to local ratepayers,” he said.

“From a road safety and capacity perspective, it is recommended this road is upgraded prior to thecompletion of the new Pacific Highway and that required works are funded by RMS not the Clarence Valley community.”

Mr Anderson said that once the new highway was operational, RMS planned to change the classification of the existing highway between Tyndale and Maclean to that of a local road, which would leave Clarence Valley ratepayers responsible for the cost of its maintenance and any upgrades.

“A more logical extension would be to extend the Gwydir Highway through Grafton to Maclean so these two major centres are connected via a State road network,” he said.
“The section of existing highway between Maclean and Tyndale is in poor condition and, being adjacent to the river for most of this section, has significant associated risks.

“A section of the existing highway has previously slipped into the river, causing major disruption and costly repairs. This overhanging burden should not be forced onto ratepayers of the Clarence Valley.

“These matters will create considerable cost shifting to council through necessary road upgrades and increased maintenance.

“In addition, a large number of residents will be still subject to B- Double movements close to their residences and through the villages of Tyndale and Ulmarra.”

A group of Ulmarra residents beside the Pacific Highway as a large semi-trailer passes.

Release ends.



Wednesday 25 October 2017

The NSW Government’s Latest Attack On The Environment


How important is protection of the natural environment to the NSW Government? 
Many in the community believe that the Government gives it a very low priority.   There are even some who would assert that the NSW Coalition Government is conducting a war on the environment.
Concern about the Government’s environmental attitudes is the inevitable result of a series of its policies and legislation over recent years.  A few examples are its original very strong support for CSG and unconventional gas mining[1], its weakening of land-clearing and biodiversity protection laws[2], its strong support of coal mine expansions despite community opposition[3], and more recently, its plan to change the law to enable Lithgow’s Springvale Mine to stay open despite its threat to Sydney’s water catchment[4].
The latest major threat to the natural environment in NSW is the re-structure of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).  The National Parks and Wildlife Service, a part of the Office of Environment and Heritage,  manages more than 870 national parks and reserves covering over 7 million hectares of land  which is more than 9% of the state’s land area.
The restructure which is currently under way involves the amalgamation of administrative areas, and either the loss of experienced officers or their demotion to what will be little more than clerical roles with substantially reduced salaries.  In addition there are serious concerns about the effect of the changes on fire-fighting capacity as well as on pest management.
The changes resulting from this restructure will have serious effects throughout the state.
Grafton on the NSW North Coast, for years an administrative centre for NPWS, will lose that function. Despite Grafton’s location in the geographical centre of the new region, the administrative headquarters is being transferred to Coffs Harbour. 
Clarence Valley locals, having seen over recent years the steady transfer of state government jobs from Grafton to Coffs Harbour, are angry about this.  What makes this decision even more nonsensical to some Clarence residents is that the Clarence Valley LGA (Local Government Area) contains one of the biggest areas of national parks on the North Coast.  Clarence Valley Mayor, Cr Jim Simmons, pointed out recently that the Clarence had 2,262 sq km of national parks, 22% of the Council area, while Coffs Harbour, has only 42 sq km – a mere 4% of the Coffs council area.
While there is concern about job losses, the loss of expertise in the Service and the impact of this drawn-out and unfair process on the Service officers, there is another major concern – the long-term effect on our very important national parks estate.  Despite the claims by politicians, including the Nationals Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, this is a cost-cutting exercise at a time when the Government has boasted about a record budget surplus of $4.5 billion.  Any claim that it is not cost-cutting when the NPWS budget has been reduced by $121 million is obviously ludicrous.
However, it is probably more than just a cost-cutting exercise.  It is almost certain that it is at least partly driven by the ideology of the Coalition Government a core part of which, according to John Menadue[5], is commercializing and privatising public assets.
With reference to this, Menadue said: “A clear case at the moment is the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. It is being deliberately underfunded and forced to seek private funding and promoting commercial access to public parks.
“Yet this is happening when, with growing population density, we have a greatly increased need for public parks, gardens and open space. Furthermore, we were able to fund our public parks for decades in the past when we were much poorer than we are today. We need to protect our parks more than ever and we have more money to do so. Yet state governments are screwing national parks with funds to force commercialization and privatization.”
In the same post Menadue quoted figures from John Benson about the downgrading of the NPWS[6]. The number of rangers has been reduced by more than 90 over seven years. Only two of 14 regional managers have been appointed after a restructure and a similar threat faces critical staff at the area management level. Staff is so reduced in some regions that basic amenities cannot be maintained and a lack of field staff presence disappoints public visitor expectations.”
Despite all the spin from politicians and bureaucrats, it is obvious that the government intends to downgrade our national parks and is setting up the National Parks and Wildlife Service for failure. If the community, including that in our local area, does not protest vehemently enough, we will be stuck with this vandalism until this arrogant government is removed.
Hildegard
Northern Rivers

Footnotes
[1] In particular for Metgasco in the Northern Rivers – until the very strong community opposition forced a buy-back of the Metgasco licence.
[2] The 2016 Biodiversity Conservation Act and Local Land Services Amendment Act. There are strong concerns that this legislation will lead to huge biodiversity loss and allow broadscale land clearing.
[6] John Benson’s post on Menadue’s blog - https://johnmenadue.com/john-benson-biodiversity-is-threatened-in-new-south-wales/  provides an interesting view of the former world class quality of the NSW national parks estate and its current decline.

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GuestSpeak is a feature of North Coast Voices allowing Northern Rivers residents to make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300 words or less can be submitted to ncvguestspeak AT gmail.com.au for consideration. Longer posts will be considered on topical subjects.