FROM RV TO RRV

RV means Recreational Vehicle and RRV means Ross River Virus and herein lies a tale- this financial year will mosquitos descend on York’s muddy, polluted waters like they would on a varicose vein? They did in a short time in 2017 with allegedly six (6) RRV cases reported.

But firstly here is a review of some ‘not-so-wise-words’ from CEO, Paul Martin, who may suffer from tinnitus, myopia, RRV, misunderstanding of the written word or has graduated with ‘Torus Excreta Honours’ in Public Service ‘avoiding serious issues’ classes.

Within last month’s Council Meeting agenda he was asked the legitimate question of what engineering qualifications did the former Executive Manager Infrastructure and Development, Bret Howson, have?

Mr. Martin’s response was to direct the questioner to www.howson.com.au to view his ‘management capabilities and experience’.

Howson’s management skills and experience was not the question- it was did Howson have verifiable documented evidence that he had reached the status of a professional practitioner of civil engineering?

It is believed the real answer is NO! and this fact becomes even more pertinent when you find that Mr. Martin recommended him as such in a memorandum to Councillors two years ago.

Mr. Howson’s glitzy web address is Howson Management created by the team from “Brandicoot” an  unfortunate title for a web designer. Coot has the synonyms dullard and old fart!

Howson specializes in design, asset and project management, strategic planning and marketing and has recently spread his expertise into the Northern Territory and South Australia. Lucky them!

His team is currently providing a seamless design, creation, management and eventual celebration for the Gunbarrel Highway, 1,000 kilometres North-East of York, at Wiluna . Lucky us!

Did he arguably provide, create and bring to successful fruition positive designs, assets, plans and marketing strategies for York to celebrate while an employee of the Shire, temporary or permanent – Not that anyone is aware of!

Were qualifications mentioned within the promotional ‘Brandicoot’ rhetoric?-none!

The second major issue is the pessimist’s proverb ‘believe only half of what you see and nothing of what you hear’- or READ.

Mr. Martin supposedly employs staff to act in the best interest of the Shire of York Council on behalf of the ratepayers.

It is incumbent on the CEO to ensure that these staff members have ALL THE QUALIFACTIONS NECESSARY to undertake their duties to the standard required by ratepayer and community expectations.

To suggest that anyone should source their knowledge of an employee’s actual professional prowess from their promotional website is farcical.

It is like saying that the Big Four Banks promotional advertising campaigns are true and correct in every way- when it has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt that they are having a lend of those who they lend to. And you keep on paying bank fees after you die.

Mr. Martin’s assessment of Mr. Howson’s engineering prowess has probably caused limitless financial damage to local ratepayers.

Just a quick calculation puts it at $500,000 without the costs of rectifying the alleged damage and what he was paid while doing it.

And now comes the RV’s

At February’s Council meeting Mr. Martin (the responsible officer not anybody else ) was tasked with developing and implementing a new or improved site for Grey Nomads and their self-contained travelling apartments.

Anyone who comes to York willingly, indeed any inland town which is not on the blatantly incompetent WA Tourism Commissions promotion radar, should be encouraged.

An advisory suggests that any revised RV location was a toss-up between the areas of land known as Mongers Reserve, a flat well drained stable area between the Coffee Carriage and Balladong Bridge or the loam based, poorly drained smaller parcel of land next to the York Croquet Club, on the Eastern bank of the river Avon.

For reasons known to their hip-pocket nerves it appears that the newly established York Business Association may have gotten involved and taken umbrage to the idea of relocating the RV Park from Avon Park without paying heed to the alternatives.

Allegedly, some in a fiscal funk fired email shots to every caravan club in WA advising that Council planned to put an end to RV’s using Avon Park in the mistaken belief there would be no RV facilities at all.

Mr. Martin’s (the responsible officer and no-one else) unbelievable recommendation was a $80,000 RV project next to the York Croquet Club that remains a washout rather than the Mongers Reserve site that would have cost just $30,000 and now probably be open and operational.

It should all have been finished on June 30, 2018.

Obviously, Mr. Martin has had to seek some approval, including a licence for land use from the Water Corporation regarding the Eastern swamp as the “Rivers Edge Club Med project”.

Has this happened?-who knows. Maybe the Gross Pollutants Traps and other large drainage pipes to prevent water flowing down from the cemetery to leave big brown stains in the river are not there yet?

In fact, they are not- and most of the earthworks completed have completely disappeared into the Avon. Maybe the whole lot of it- earthworks and seal $25,415, Kerbing (otherwise known as curbing) $12,875, drainage $9,000, landscaping $12,670 and lighting/services $20,000 will end up in a watery grave.

So far it appears that around $70,000 has already been washed away- leaving just $10,000 to pay for $79,960 worth of earthworks, seal, curbing, drainage, landscaping and lighting/services.

Once again it seems there is another stuff-up on a different day. Currently this project is a GROSS MUNICPLE MONEY TRAP which could well cost double the original projection-maybe more.

And the Shire of York is rapidly descending into bumbling, stumbling, fumbling mess which its ratepayers do not deserve and should not tolerate.

Mike Nahan, the Opposition Leader says that the print media such as The West Australian have lost reader interest and therefore community relevance.

Social Media has, in a way, taken its place and must be responsible.

Harsh criticism is not what Social Media should be all about. It suggests exaggeration and being too severe and unpleasant.

Unfortunately, in the Shire of York’s case in particular, with the CEO and President there are way too many unanswered questions, far too much money being spent and far too many muddy ponds of brackish water in town- without a legitimate answer.

If they feel that Too Harsh a Treatment Feeling, get used to it or actually do something positive that all of York can applaud.

What should happen if you get a dose of RRV from York’s black lagoons, send a copy of your medical bills C/O the Shire of York and Howson Management

David Taylor.