SRV could be put on hold

Cr Mitchell Nadin said he had written to the mayor Kristy McBain and to the general manager Leanne Barnes and would be moving a notice of motion to put the SRV on hold at the next general council meeting on January 29.

It is understood that the mayor and general manager were supportive of the proposal to put the SRV on hold. It is also understood that council has cancelled its planned community consultation sessions on the SRV and planned advertising that was to be part of the consultative process.

Cr Nadin has been an opponent of the SRV and raised questions about it during discussion.

He said that as the bushfire threat increased and as a result of the crisis on New Year's Eve that affected the northern part of the shire, and on the weekend when the Border Fire ripped through the southern part of the shire, he had been contacted by residents and businesses concerned about the impact of the SRV at this time.

"So many people have called me and said surely you can't be proceeding with this (SRV)," Cr Nadin said.

"There is no way we can try and implement the largest increase this shire has seen in its history for swimming pools to raise $2m a year," Cr Nadin said.

"The budget papers produced by staff show no proposed increases to pool users in user fees or charges."

"If things weren't tough enough already the fires will have an additional and major burden on businesses and residents of the shire.

"This is something I cannot ask these people to absorb at this time." Cr Nadin said.

Given the bushfire crisis it is likely that no councillors will be willing to press ahead with the SRV. And at the same time staff are likely to be redirected away from the SRV and will have their hands full as they work on the bushfire recovery effort.