OPEN LETTER TO THE SHIRE OF YORK COUNCIL

                                     

                                                          ‘ ROADS’ TO DISASTER’
                 
                   The Shire of York Administration’s failed Road Maintenance Program

It is mooted that the current Shire of York Council will oversee a review of the Shire of York Administration’s maintenance and development program regarding all roads under its jurisdiction. This, hopefully, will be part of its 2016 Major Strategic Review which, when completed, should be released, in in its entirety, for public comment. This should be by no later than June 30, 2016.

Based on documented evidence and visual observation of the current standard of some local roads the prognosis for any review is that it will include a damning indictment of the performance of the Shire of York Administration directly referring to all aspects of its Road Maintenance Program over an entirely unacceptably period of time.(Since 2011 to be exact.)

Therefore any worthwhile ‘Review’ should include (but not be limited to):-
the forensic examination of any diversion of State and, possibly, Federal Local Government Road Funding (and other grants) by the Shire of York Administration to other projects, in particular the York Recreation and Convention Centre that was to the financial detriment of the Road Maintenance Program.

Thereby:-

(a) causing Shire roads not to meet acceptable, mandatory regulation standards

and

b) causing adverse road conditions that could experientially increase the risk of serious vehicle accidents.  (In addition this should include a pertinent investigating into any risk of the Shire of York Administration’s exposure to compensation claims from death and serious injury through any failure in any obligatory duty-of-care requirement to ensure its roads meet sufficient safety standards for all road-users and usage.)

That the Shire of York Administration should demonstrate to the York community that it has, or will have the financial capability and capacity to:-

i)   restore!

ii)  improve!

and

iii) then- adequately maintain:-
all roads under its jurisdiction in the short, medium and long term.
That the Shire of York Administration should aver to the York community it will employee

a) a Roadworks  Manager/Supervisor

and

b) complimentary road maintenance staff with fully documented qualifications and experience in road construction and maintenance of rural and regional roads in full compliance with all mandatory procedures and standards for all such road development, construction and maintenance

otherwise

c) engage highly reputable licenced contractors to provide the same services.

IN ADDITION

The Shire of York Council should avow to all ratepayers and the entire York community that is ultimately responsible for the quality of all roads listed as being under the jurisdiction of the Shire of York Administration and as such warrants that:-

all such roads will be restored to all required standards by no later than June 30, 2017.

The Shire of York Council should warrant that all rate valuations on all commercial and domestic properties (including agricultural lands) within its Local Government Area will not be increased and remain as per the rate assessments for the 2015 -2016 Financial Year until July 1, 2017.

The Shire of York Council should warrant that all rate valuations on all commercial and domestic properties (including agricultural lands) within its Local Government Area for the 2017-2018 Financial Year will not exceed the annual rate of inflation registered in the 2016-2017 Financial Year.

The Shire of York Council should acknowledge its past inability to properly and adequately exercise its designated authority over the Shire of York Council Administration with particular regard to an adequate Road Maintenance Program and assures its ratepayers that local policy strictures have been put in place to prevent such an occurrence in future.

The Shire of York Council declares it will ,and will publically be seen to be, taking control of all pertinent Shire of York, Local Government Area affairs as of July 1, 2016 in the best interest of its ratepayers and the general community.

The reason for this, with particular emphasis on the Road Maintenance Program is that the Shire of York Administration is responsible for the following:-

a) continuous systemic and endemic failings in the design, construction and maintenance of its road system and related structures for a period of no less than five (5) years
b)absolutely no measurement of the safety condition of its road system and related structures for any known period of time

and

c) a sixty (60) % shortfall in available funding to maintain its road system and related structures in
    their current condition.

 David Taylor.