YORK FUTURE SOCIO-ECONOMIC VIABILITY APPRAISAL (JULY 1, 2016-onwards)

There is at least Ten Commandments for commercial viability and sustainable growth for rural communities, like York. One in particular is location. Being in close proximity to a large population of 2.2 million (Perth) should be considered to be a potential commercial advantage. It is not based on rocket science and in the case of York these commandments for both successful peri-urban neighbourhood living and local rural community preservation are basic and as follows:-

1. A Shire of York Council able to deliver to its administrative arm forward planning ideas and proposals to assist in developing new commercially viable manufacturing, retail and tourism business, and population growth, prioritised through effective community consultation. (The Major Strategic Review 2016 should be the catalyst for overall socio-economic growth improvement.)

2. A Shire of York Administration with a senior management structure capable of undertaking such development through the provision of administration excellence, positive forward planning advice and any direct or indirect assistance for new business facilitation. (This management structure is yet to be put in place.)

3. A dynamic Shire of York Administration Chief Executive Officer with the ability to attract suitably credentialed and experienced applicants for a limited number of managerial positions deemed essential for all future socio-economic development and its Australia-wide and international  promotion. (These areas of required expertise, and the number of required managerial positions agreed to by the Shire of York Council, are yet to be advised.)

4. A Shire of York Council and Shire of York Administration dedicated to cohesive, clear, concise, capable and transparent governance acceptable to both the Department of Local Government, no matter which political party is in power, but more importantly to the York community and its ratepayers. (This is yet to be proven, but the means to this end should be encapsulated in The Comprehensive Policy Review 2016.)

5. A Shire of York Council and Shire of York Administration with the ability to attract and retain sufficient number of appropriately qualified, trained and dedicated Councillors and administration staff to provide continuing, stable good governance and community services- projected well into the future. (Councillors have four years to prove their value to the community, senior managerial administration staff should be on 3-year performance-based contracts with an annual KPI assessment.)

6. It should be recognized and understood that York’s aging population; currently the second-highest, per-capita, in Western Australia does not provide the ideal, future-growth dynamics for new investment based on current local community customer support only. Any new supplier of goods and services would require an additional external customer/client base.
York has a low, per capita, average annual income of $37,000 which is half that of Australia’s average annual, pre-tax income and close to the basic wage. The local housing market, both sales and rentals, is in serious decline. Therefore there are very few, if any, positive economic indicators suggesting easily achievable, rapid economic growth. (These are the problems that The Major Strategic Review 2016 must attempt to address.)

7. It should be recognized that unlike Northam and Toodyay, York does not have any form of relatively inexpensive public transport system to create a peri-urban/rural community with a commuter based population, either supplying a significant workforce to the metropolitan area or vice-versa. Its main access road, the Great Southern Highway is a ‘highway’ in name only. (This is a problem that may be difficult to address.)

8. It should be recognized and understood that York does not have the headworks and other commercial utility delivery capacity required to provide additional, inexpensive, power (electricity and gas) and water supply services to attract small to medium manufacturing industry in what is a highly competitive market- in a current slow growth sector. Nor does it have the skilled workforce to complement this form of new investment, or a known, supportive Council commercial rating regime to attract these investors. (The focus of future, restricted, Royalties for Regions funding will be on assisting viable business development and should be taken advantage of, were applicable, by the Shire of York Administration and the Shire of York Council.)

9. It should be of community concern that York does not appear have any co-ordinated economy support group such as a Chamber of Commerce, Local Businessman’s Association, Business Advisory Group or current York-based tourism committee to assist in advising and attracting new manufacturing, retail and tourism business to the town. (This is a serious matter that requires redressing by the whole-of-York community in providing local expertise as potential social capitalization.)

10. It should be recognized and understood  that the previous Shire of York Council and administration’s over investment in just one multi-million dollar, mainly public funded, community facility, The York Recreation and Convention Centre, has the ability to create serious municipal fund deficiencies in  the Shire of York Annual budget for the foreseeable future. This could see funding that should have been allocated to assist in areas such as promotion, marketing and commercial facilitation to attract new business and population growth continuously being diverted to keep the doors of the YRCC open.

The Guy Lehmann Report, supposedly commissioned to provide a remedial business plan, was not completed and there has yet to be released any information on how serious a problem the YRCC has in meeting the basic, everyday budgetary necessities and overall debt servicing requirements to remain solvent. This report was due to be released two years ago and the reluctance to release any financial information regarding the YRCC suggests there is a serious problem with credibility, accountability and public acceptance. (This is a matter for the Shire of York Council to publically address now.)

Statistics, which are adverse in York’s case, do not lie, but they can be improved. Unfortunately, overall, current statistics show an alarming rise in unemployment in Rural and Regional WA brought about by the severe downturn in the resources sector. Another factor is the failure of Royalties for Regions funding to be used for improvement and increases in basic infrastructure such as rural roads, rail and additional, high quality, cheap utility services. (These are all matters that should have been given due consideration in the development of The Major Strategic Review 2016.

The complex issues of rejuvenating rural community development (at this time) (and how to activate it) are mainly a Shire of York Council problem to be addressed immediately. One employee, the CEO, needed to facilitate and ensure positive development is in place, the rest must be found as soon as possible.  (Neither is a particularly easy task.)

Despite claims to the contrary, both on-line media publications dealing with controversial York community issues are well read by the public, politicians, their advisors and staff. The readership of both would be well in excess of 100,000 per annum which are easily confirmed by the number of visits automatically registered on the website address.

One courts public comment, allowing for robust community debate, the other does not because it makes statements and does not ask questions. One’s ownership is known, the other’s is not!

It is important, in the public interest, for both to exist until it is apparent that the performance of the Shire of York Council and the Shire of York Administration make them no longer necessary. (There should be an in-built, timely obsolescence.)

In deference to the obvious intellectualism of one owner, who uses famous literary quotes to illustrate his message, here is a famous Dickensian quote, revisited, that hopefully suggests York’s immediate future.

“It was the best of times, not the worst of times
it was the age of wisdom, not the age of foolishness
it was the epoch of belief, not the epoch of incredulity
it was the season of light, not the season of darkness
it was the Spring of hope- not another winter of despair.

David Taylor.