The Beagle Editor,
Recently one of our Councillors went to the trouble of appearing in a short social media video on the Bay Post Facebook page talking mainly about himself but including comments about attending Ratepayers and Residents fully funded Conferences that are held all over the country at various times during council terms. His explanation of his idea of expensive conference attendances, not to the community, but to councillors who attend such extravagances these day was exceptionally vain. Many who attend don’t participate for community benefit at all, generally those who attend such jaunts don’t even go with presentations prepared that could with the support of other conference attendees eventually build better communities or develop a better Eurobodalla Shire where all residents can share in improved living standards. Conferences are not about elected councillors as the video suggested. They are so discussion and resolution can occur that will eventually lead to better living standards for all people.
Some effort by our elected to encourage more conferences to be held in the Eurobodalla Shire would be a good thing for the economy through assisting businesses and the total economy of the shire. A few years back a conference held in the shire produced a small $50,000 profit for the Shires residents and an economic boost for businesses. More of that sort of thing needs to occur, so instead of self promotion campaigns being developed think of the shires residents first and what can be delivered for them by attending conferences, councillor.
Allan Brown
Catalina
