SUNSHINE Coast Council may well have a completely rational argument for a 110 per cent increase in pet registrations.
In fact, it probably has a fair rationale for a near 10 per cent rise in general rates, higher waste charges, late payment penalties, council hall fees and its attempt to charge community groups to use library meeting rooms, to name a few.
But throw in the broader rise in insurance, groceries, electricity, mortgage repayments, rent, petrol, credit card fees and more, and people eventually stop caring about rationales.
They just know they’re paying more for everything and that in every direction, someone is chipping away at the contents of their back pocket.
Council, of course, has to somehow chip away at its $13 million deficit, caused by the very human problem of living beyond its means.
But sometimes it isn’t the rates bill or the insurance renewal that tips people over. It’s the smaller charge that arrives on top of everything else. In this instance, an extra $35 to register your pet.
But people are nothing if not innovative.
If you really don’t want to pay, there is apparently another option.
“We faked our dog’s death,” one pet owner told me.
Of course, we don’t condone this, but if that’s the reaction Council is getting from pet owners, it will be interesting to see what happens to registration numbers.
Let’s reconvene at the dog park next year and do a head count.
Street talk
While council is in the crosshairs of every pet owner in the county, it’s also in the bad books with retailers who are still counting the cost of the Maleny streetscaping debacle.
While the council has a record of trying to support businesses that have been disadvantaged by infrastructure works, it is not going to do anything for Maple Street retailers.
“Council appreciates local businesses’ support of the project and recognises that any construction activity has an impact on our community,” the council said this week following our coverage of the issue in the previous edition.
It goes on about its responsibility for ‘essential public infrastructure upgrades,’ sidestepping its promise of “minimised disruption”.
Brush Turkey Enterprise and former Maleny Chamber president Spencer Shaw laughs at the mention of council saying it had been in regular contact with the chamber ahead of the works. Maybe it is relative to our definition of ‘regular’.
The way Spencer sees it, the council has ignored the constructive feedback from businesses and it is that group now suffering the consequences.
“It would be good to see Council improve communications, demonstrate empathy and practically assist businesses in negotiating this difficult period,” he tells GC&M News this week.
Maybe the extra revenue from the pet registrations could fund a community liaison officer.