The (new) Minister for Local Government, the Hon Joe Szakacs MP will visit Coober Pedy on Wednesday 31 July 2024. COMMUNITY MEMBERS are hereby invited to attend a public forum at the Italian Club from 5.30pm – 7.00pm. (1.5 hours) All welcome.

The Director of the Office of Local Government, Ms Alex Hart will be in attendance also. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Council’s three current administrators Mr. Geoff Sheridan, and supporting administrators Ms Erika Vikery and Mr. John Moyle will also be in attendance at the Italian Club on Wednesday evening.

At the forum, the Minister will discuss the “review of services and assets” in Coober Pedy which has been funded by the State Government.

The funding will help the Council complete a thorough asset management plan, aiming to create a future-proof and sustainable regime for maintenance and care.

Minister for Local Government Joe Szakacs MP said, “The State Government is committed to finding a way forward so that Coober Pedy can have the sustainable local governance that other regional communities have.”

“While there is still significant work required to ensure the town can be locally governed, our support for a service review and asset management plan is an important step towards future stability for the council.”

“We have listened to the Administrators’ requests for critical work to ensure that the current and future Council – and the Coober Pedy Community – fully understand what services can be provided with the available rates revenue,” concluded the Minister.

Chairperson of the Coober Pedy Retail, Business and Tourism Association Inc. Mr George Kountouris said, “We welcome the arrival of Local Government Minister Joe Szakacs and Director of the Office of Local Government, Ms. Alex Hart into our opal mining town on Wednesday evening, and look forward to an opportunity to meet and discuss several critical issues with them on behalf of our businesses, their families, and their employees.”

“We appreciate that the Minister has listened to the three FIFO Administrators, and has approved funding that we believe may simply compensate for the past 5 years of poor spending choices. We now request that the Minister listens to the people who pay the bills ie taxpayers and ratepayers. These people believe they have become victims of ongoing incompetence and yes, neglect!”

“The community is making it very clear to us that they are suffering severe financial setbacks, due to contrived charges being cruelly added into their annual rates notices, implying that the council is operating in the black. If genuine austerity had been practiced rather than professed, they may well have succeeded in reducing their debt. But to forcibly lunge both hands into the pockets of pensioners and struggling families is worthy of demanding that our political representatives provide us with a more professional solution to the current administrative model, obviously still in trial mode.”

“Our community does not wish to endure yet another exchange (meeting/forum) where consultation is feigned, avoided, managed or denied, due to the unfamiliarity of administrators and politicians with our long-term, intricate, local council history.”

“Administrators’ insidious practice of paying a “facilitator” from Adelaide, to develop a small following, and pretend community representation thus advisory and consultancy services to the council has received considerable community lash-back. The T/Group is not “together” with the town, and does NOT represent this town, our businesses, or our employees. The facilitator was given a good hearing at the outset, however, the curious community ceased attending within the first 2 or 3 meetings. The faction continues to operate with a handful of attendees, with costs forced onto our families and the rate-paying community to finance their leader/facilitator. The pointless exercise has made a mockery of the council professing to be practicing austerity measures.

“The extravagance is divisive, delusional, and undemocratic, and to date has produced no genuine or valuable outcomes.

The Far North Region supports 18,338 jobs and has an annual economic output of $14.126 billion. We can hardly build on this, if there is little or no local investment. Our money is continually intercepted at the source by arguably lesser priorities and administrators addicted to services in the city and remote workers!

“Council needs to adopt a business model that stimulates the local economy from the Ratepayers per capita funding allocation and other grants available to remote areas. The nature of remote areas demands that every cent be spent on essential and important community services, such as providing ongoing maintenance, local employment, and in bolstering the local economy, thus sustainability.”

“The message here is, if you aren’t up to the job, don’t apply for it, and then add the expenses for any deficiencies onto the embattled community!”

“The community believes that the Far North seriously needs a dedicated Local Member, who can swiftly take our concerns to the parliament.”

“Special funding/bailouts would not be necessary if the political representatives were closer to their constituents at the outset. The State Government needs to set up trial periods and KPIs for the administrators. We invite Minister Joe Szakacs and Ms Alex Hart to meet with us for a deeper discussion.”