Monday 14 December 2009

Council annual report a "waste of money"

"Most people would throw it in the bin," Councillor Robert Pyne told a meeting of the Cairns Regional Council, when it was decided to print and deliver thousands of copies of the Council's annual report.

Over the weekend, you probably received your own personal copy of Council's community annual report, a summary version of the full report, for the 12 months to 28 June 2009.

"More than half of them would go straight in the bin," Robert Pyne says.

Councillor Julia Leu also agreed that it would be a waste and felt the money, estimated to be up to $20,000, could be better spent on essential services.

Pyne and Leu were the only two Councillors to vote against the proposal to print and distribute the 8-page large format colour report.

However, Councillor Nancy Lanskey said that a great many people would keep the report and "refer to it."

In this age of wanting to save money and being more "green" about our approach to the environment, why are we printing vast volumes of paper reports? The ease of access of such documents via your home computer, or at the local library, would suggest that the only reason why such a document is distributed by the thousands across every letterbox, is for propaganda: "Look what we've done!"

The complete detailed report, is available online.

I have put a question into Chief Executive Officer Lyn Russell about the full cost of producing and distributing the Annual Report. I'll keep you posted as soon as I hear.

4 comments:

Miss Chief. said...

Used rolled up, it's a handy thing to pat themselves on the back with - not to mention it'd also good for swatting the flies that are attracted by all the bull excrement.

I read it and consigned it to the recycling.

Oliver Redlynch said...

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. With a hostile press just exactly HOW are the CRC supposed to tell the public what they are doing with their rates? You also over estimate how many people will use the internet to find this sort of information (those that actually can get broadband in Cairns that is).

Bring back KB said...

Oh....my...GOD !!! just looking through the Cairns City Council Annual Report... $100M received in funding for Capital works, and only $10M spent on capital works ? What the f... and $172M in cash... and these idiots are managing a $3 BILLION organisation !!!!!!!

So Val's response to the Global recession, spend virtually nothing on Capital Works.

I say we all march down to Spence street and lynch these bloody fools. Pleeeeeaaase someone try and convince me that KB couldnt do a better job than this ???

Thanks Val , how many families did you have to ruin just so you could build up some money in the bank .... during a recession ?

Miss Chief. said...

Don't you dare bring back KB!
I know Val is bloody ineffectual, but at least the money is still there to spend. It's probably earmarked for the Volcano.