Thursday 28 January 2010

My second email to Lyn Russell, CEO Cairns Council

In mid-December I wrote about the Cairns Regional Council's Community Annual Report, that was printed and distributed right across the region.

Councillor Robert Pyne, who voted along with Julia Leu, not to print the report at a cost of thousands, said that more than half of them would probably go straight in the bin.

Prior to publishing the story, I emailed the CEO Lyn Russell, and Kerie Still, the Acting Communications Manager...

I received no response, not even an acknowledgement. I have again written to the CEO, for what should be a very easy answer...

  • From Michael Moore, CairnsBlog.net
    To: l.russell@cairns.qld.gov.au
    CC:
    k.still@cairns.qld.gov.au, v.schier@cairns.qld.gov.au, Diane Forsyth, Kirsten Lesina
    Date: 24 January 2010 14:21
    Subject Re: Cost of Council's Community Annual Report

    Lyn,

    I still have not had any response to my question of 11th December. I received no response, nor even an acknowledgement.

    Can this please be emailed to me this week? I suspect it would be very easy to locate this information.

    Regards,
    Michael P Moore

As I said last time, I'll keep you posted about how our money is being spent.

6 comments:

Oliver Redlynch said...

It may seem a lot of money, but in reality it is not - assuming that 100,000 copies are printed for evey household and distribution at public buildings, that work out at 5 cents a copy. Now publishing an annual report is I believe a statutory requirement for the council under the local government act, and we already know the abysmal broadband coverage we suffer here in Cairns at the hands of Telsta, so printing would still appear to be the best option for dissemination. Also, how exactly are the council to communicate to the public what they are doing with their rates money without the bias of the local press? (Propaganda vs. mis-representation). So - what's the big deal, I'm sure Lynn had enough things on her plate to worry about with errant councillors in her first months than this request. Obviously short of news today Michael.

Oliver Redlynch said...

Doh, hadn't had my coffee yet this morning, and that calculation should have been 20cents a copy - but still, cheaper and more accurate than the local rag.

brad m said...

I work in the IT game and understand the huge savings of online content distribution, however, I recognise that print is probably the most accessible medium many of the residents still have available or are comfortable with. We should not excluded those without online facilities. It is not unusual to see print/mailout from all levels of government.

Smithfield Sam said...

Lyn is planning distribution of next year's report on iPads that council will purchase for every resident.

Satisfied?

The Essence of Good Taste said...

I for one appreciated getting this report. I like to see what is happening with my rates money; and not everything they achieve is obvious as you run around the community. I agree money well spent - and my work colleagues also mentioned appreciating getting the report at the time. We are all on-line but still like to read 'hard copy' with our morning coffee.

Unknown said...

"Smithfield Sam said...
Lyn is planning distribution of next year's report on iPads that council will purchase for every resident.
Satisfied?"

Very satisfied. I reckon for the amount of rates I am paying an iPad should be included !

Let's start a "We want a free iPad Facebook web-site !"