Dear Editor,

So, now we are to have a rate rise, despite the community objecting. I notice from the press release from Ipart that the money is to be spent on those things for which it was asked for. (Backlog on roads and bridges and other things like financial adjustments etc. Very vague actually and all encompassing in the words given to Ipart. Not exactly what was pushed at so called community engagement events. Or, in community surveys which council stated showed extensive support for special rate variation.) My question then is, will this council continue in its current fashion, spending money on unjustified, thought bubble projects, such as the works to the curb and gutter and footpath near the roundabout at the police station in Forster, and extensive works which seem to go on for ever at Memorial Drive in Forster & so on. I was    advised by a Council representative that they had been advised by the director operations/ engineering that the works at the roundabout were to cater for pedestrians. That the director operations/ engineering did not indicate whether there was any investigation, or design that supported the justification for the works.( In fact, I was shown a piece of paper with some lines drawn on it in biro, which apparently constituted the entire design) There was no consideration of the fact that council was pushing a civic precinct project adjacent to the works which would generate substantially more vehicular traffic, and possibly require works to the roundabout and roadway which would mean demolition of the works being carried out now. The fact that the works are being carried out with substantial resources working on Saturdays also makes me wonder about how well this council spends our money. Why is there an urgent need to do these works on a Saturday, when presumably costs are higher for the large number of council staff working on the site, when overtime is considered? The site has been like that with the same number or more of pedestrians for the five years that I have lived in Forster, and nothing urgent has been done before. Are the works listed on any Operational Plan? A council that relies on fake news, poor management and political skull doggery to take rate payers money and spend it on thought bubbles needs to be sorted out.

David Poole

Forster