Coober Pedy Residents are fuming! As if three painful years of dysfunction and theatrics weren’t enough.

Administrator Geoff Sheridan continues to insult the Ratepayers of Coober Pedy with his flimsy regard for consultation amid a horrendous 33% hike in charges (2023 + 2024), with zero services evident!

Sheridan has failed to listen to the community by continuing to hire so-called consultants to try and make up for a skills shortfall. Despite the community backlash on the futile use of consultants, there has been no attempt to stop the top office spending. Ratepayer funds are still being depleted by poor management practices and inappropriate priorities.

For 6 years Ratepayer funds have been used to hunt down and bankrupt an Elected Member/Whistleblower/Ratepayer following process by calling out alleged corruption. This legal pursuit provides no benefit to Ratepayers and sounds curiously like a coverup.

What we understand is: that the 23 documents that the Whistleblower is being prosecuted were received by elected members (and others) in a ‘server glitch,’ however, an FOI application for the 23 documents was granted by the courts. See “MILLION DOLLAR EMAILS?” below.

A Council recording dated 12th July 2023 highlights that in Jackson’s time, he had already spent $600K chasing George Naumovic (Whistleblower). Sheridan confirmed in the same meeting that “council is indeed trading insolvent and if we were a private company we would all be in jail”.

Both points after 40:44minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuusbDToL2I

On his exit, Tim Jackson handed the baton to Geoff Sheridan to continue pursuing Whistleblower George Naumovic using the ratepayer’s essential services funds. Ironically there is no reference to any potential corruption of the Tim Jackson administration about the attempted disposal of public documents.

Equally puzzling is the appearance of the State Government, Local Council, and query the Judicial, closing ranks against a Whistleblower. Since ICAC had its teeth removed by the State Govt, (bi-partisan) the result seems to be a roll-on benefit to the lesser public servants.

The current ‘masters and slaves’ attitude is unbecoming of the State Government with their army-like collection of publicly paid employees now acting as enforcers and revenue raisers [and advisors]!

Remote area residents in Coober Pedy have no support, no leadership, except each other after Sheridan finally admitted his failure by reaching into the pockets of families and pensioners for his bail-out. And what is worse, the system allows him to do it!

In the history of alleged council impropriety, the DCCP also spent arguably over $500K defending a court case where they had shut down a truck parking bay next to a local business (Roadhouse) on dubious grounds. It was broadly believed by the community to have been a move that would benefit a councilor’s business at that time.

The DCCP lost the court case and had to pay the owners of the Roadhouse’s legal expenses as well as their own.  The understanding was that insurance did not cover the council’s defense and that Ratepayer funds were used.

Local businessman John Di Donna is one individual that community members and friends have turned to as the impact of the 33% rise in ‘rates-charges’ between July 2023 and July 2024 is felt.

John is a familiar face around town having raised his young family in Coober Pedy and spent 20+ years on the Committee at the Coober Pedy Shooters Club, and through his regional I.T. and Security Business.  John is joined by George and Teena Rosewarne, and the CPRT who will meet with residents on Saturday.

 John said “I am appalled by the meeting held with the council and Minister Joe Szakacs MP on 31 July. They ignored the 70 + ratepayers concerning the high cost of rates and no services.   Of our submitted consultation questions; it is my view that after receiving no solutions from consultants and other sources, the administrators see the community as a soft target.”

“South Australians need a State Govt to construct a workable form of Local Government legislation that is corruption-proof.  4 years between elections is a recipe for failure.”

“Residents, now set to live with more hardship are saying, These added charges look to be for services that nobody actually receives. For example, what is a “fixed charge, and what is the Landscape tax for?”

“For rate increases, the Local Government Price Index (LGPI) is 4.4 percent for 2024. One property with unsealed roads; no footpaths and valued at $143K calculates at $1,064, but the family was billed $3,200 by DCCP.”

“To those with concerns, I suggest that affected community members come along on Saturday and bring their Rates Notices, Electricity and Water Bills, and questions. We will work out the charges and possible options in this latest council-induced crisis, dumped onto our community”, said John Di Donna.”