Two Albury councillors look to be at odds with at least two of their fellow city representatives when it comes to lobbying for NSW government funding.
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Cr Alice Glachan and Cr Graham Docksey, who are seeking re-election on the same ticket at the September elections, say the present approach by mayor Henk van de Ven and his mayoral predecessor Kevin Mack doesn’t work.
The criticism follows a move by Cr van de Ven to deliver a verbal touch-up to the state government at council’s final meeting before it enters the caretaker period for the September elections.
Cr van de Ven said the federal government had been willing to partner with Albury on major projects but there had been a “huge disconnect” between what the federal government and the state government viewed as priorities.
Some of the more memorable funding snubs from the NSW government of Albury projects include the Murray Art Museum Albury, Lavington Oval redevelopment and Davey Road interchange upgrade.
Cr van de Ven produced figures showing infrastructure spending by the state government in Albury over the last five years was far behind other large regional areas.
Member for Albury Greg Aplin disputes the figures which show Albury received $22.7 million compared to Wagga’s $385 million and Tamworth’s $351 million. But if those figures are anywhere near being correct, it would seem appropriate for our local representatives to have something to say about it.
Cr Glachan points out that council needs to work “consultatively with all tiers of government” and that “brawling” in public about funding is not a good look.
But there is a difference between “brawling in public” and mounting a bit of a fight to get an equal or better slice of the funding pie. That is surely what Albury ratepayers expect of their elected representatives.
Remaining positive at all times, as Crs Glachan and Docksey suggest is the right approach, would be fine if there was a consensus that Albury was getting its fair share.
The councillors are individuals who each have their own perspective and opinions on the issue and can make up their own minds about whether the state government has let us down. Those who don’t believe we are getting our share have every right to make some noise. After all, isn’t it the squeaky wheel that gets the oil?