Ratepayers jump at second chance to fix up problems

Seven new councillors elected to Wangaratta last week have a pretty clear map of what not to do.

Their predecessors in 2013 lost the trust and respect of both residents and the Victorian government when infighting and bullying got in the way of actually governing for the city – then they were sacked.

Administrators over the next three years got back to decision-making, which would keep Wangaratta developing, but never quite moved past the stigma of not being publicly elected.

Tough and controversial calls, such as closing the ageing Yarrunga pool, could not realistically be made by anyone seeking re-election by popular vote.

The result of all this has been four years of frustration with local government.

Wangaratta’s class of 2016 will have to find its own way to be effective.

They will immediately face a major challenge to achieve what administrators failed to do over three years: win federal funding for a workable pool plan.

Last month’s announcement of National Stronger Region Fund was meant to be the crown on the administrators’ three years.

A $4 million federal government grant to build a new indoor pool would have been the final piece of the aquatic strategy puzzle, which started with closing Yarrunga pool and opening a new splash park.

But for the second time in two years, Wangaratta missed out.

Now the councillors-elect are considering scrapping the entire plan.

It will not be the first decision made by councillors though.

Despite the pools being one of the most contentious issues for the election campaign, many rural councillors - who did not directly use the facilities - were not across details of the aquatic strategy.

Their job will be to find out why it failed and what should be done next.

Chief executive Brendan McGrath said plans had been put on hold until officers could see where councillors had their priorities.

He said they would hold conversations with the new councillors over the next few weeks.

Councillor-elect Harry Bussell said reviewing the aquatic strategy was not high on his agenda.

“I don't want to make somebody else's past problems ours,” he said. “I don't expect that to go very far.”

But they cannot wait too long - the next round of National Stronger Regions Fund applications were due by about mid-December.

Mr McGrath said Wangaratta’s most-recent application missed out by just three points and received federal government feedback on how to improve.

He did not rule out a third straight pitch for funding.

“We would want to understand the new councillors’ position so we know how to move forward,” Mr McGrath said. “Our role with any new group of councillors is to work out what's important to them … we’re pretty excited, we’ve had three years to prepare for this.”