Hey, Dungog Shire, let's get cracking into it!
So last Council meeting, I put forward a motion which was in the Dungog Shire Cemeteries Policy. Now, this is quite an outdated policy, so I put a motion up there. This really came off the back of a lot of advocacy that a group called the Dungeon Death Cafe has been doing across the Dungog Shire. Now, death is not always something everyone talks about, but it probably should be, considering that unfortunately, we will all die one day. So I met with them, and they've been doing some really good work across the Shire about education, good resourcing for people and families, as well as people that are just interested in Dungog Shire's policy around that. So out of that came three key areas that I want Dungog Shire to focus on in its upcoming policy. The policy has to be updated anyway, because the state has updated quite a lot since Dungog Shire's last policy review. The three areas of focus were the investigation of natural and green burials. This is in declared cemetery land, but there's also the possibility of expanding that land so you get things like forests where people can be buried among trees, and there are many other green, natural ways to do burials. And the other one was greater guidance around private land burials. This is becoming really hard now. And while it's still possible, it's pretty clear to me that the state government's kind of phasing it out by introducing quite a lot of policies that're making it quite difficult. So it can be quite confusing out there, because there's quite a lot of levels that you have to jump through now to do those private burials. So it's about putting together a pack that really guides people on how to do it, since it can be quite confusing. And then the third thing I want them to look at is the consideration of emerging practices. Some of them aren't legal here yet, but they're practiced in the US so these might come in the future. It's just about future planning or future-proofing the policy, and that includes things like body composting and organic, natural practices. So that got unanimous support, so that's been passed. So eventually, in the next couple of months, that policy will come up for review. And you know, if you want to be a part of that conversation, I'll definitely put it up when it comes up to the public input section. So keep an eye out for that.
Now, another thing, last week was a big week for Dungog Shire advocacy. I was at NSW Parliament as part of the Hunter JO and Country Mayors Association that was there. I met with many Ministers, along with other Mayors and General Managers from councils across the Hunter. Advocacy is in full swing at the moment because a state election is not too far off. Things that I really pushed to every single minister I met, the biggest one was road funding. We all know it. Our roads are nowhere near what they need to be, and to be completely honest, there is absolutely no way Council can actually get those roads up to the standard that we all want without some serious changes. So road funding was the number one thing I was talking about.
The main point I was making is that we need consistent ongoing funding, that is non-competitive, and truly reflects the size and challenges faced by rural councils. So what does this mean? The big thing is FA Grants. This is the money that comes from the federal level. It gets pushed down to the states and then to the Council. So first of all, we need an increase! It got paused about a decade ago, and it never got put back up. So the cost of roads now is astronomically high compared to what it was, and we have not seen funding increases. So the first thing is, we need more funding.
The second thing is the distribution of that funding. I was in Sydney, so I was using Sydney as a bit of a punching bag. But Sydney, for example, receives $9 million in FA grants every year for their roads. Now, why do they need that? They'd make $10 million a year just from parking fines. So you can see that the distribution of the funds is also an issue. It's not going to the councils that genuinely need the funding through grants. That's a big issue.
Another issue is the timing of the grants. A good example in Dungog Shire is all the country bridges we recently upgraded over the last two years. So, great policy and beneficial for Dungog Shire. But what the state did was give all these councils funding to replace their bridges at the same time. This only inflated the market. The bridges nearly cost double. It's just a waste of taxpayers' money. Therefore, they need to reconsider how they time these grants and how they distribute them.
It's also really hard for Council to implement a 10-year Strategic Plan if we don't have the funding. We don't even know if we're going to get it. So how can you write a 10-year plan of all the capital works you're going to do if you haven't got funding guaranteed? It also makes it really hard to go back on. So, say we're going to build this new bridge, but all of a sudden, we don't get funding. How do we then go back to the ratepayers and say, "Oh, look, we were going to get this bridge, but now we don't have funding for it"? So, the whole thing is a bit of a mess.
And the other big thing I was talking about was Block Grants. This is the funding we get per road. Now it's based on a model that's completely broken. I can see the logic behind their model. Their model is based on population, which is great when you zoom out, but when you zoom in, a good example is the roads that connect Maitland and Dungog. Maitland receives double the funding for the road that crosses the imaginary line into Dungog Shire. Now it's the same road, it's getting the same use. It has to be repaired and maintained at the same standard. So why are we getting half the funding? It just doesn't make sense. So that was all about road funding.
I was also talking about Road Categorisation. Now, this issue particularly affects Dungog Shire because we are quite literally the only Council in the state without a single state road. The Roads Minister talked about a new model that she has introduced. Unfortunately, the model is not great, to be completely honest, and most of our roads didn't meet the criteria anyway. So I'm not really sure what the point of all that work was, but that's a hot topic.
Then the other big thing I talked about was Disaster Funding. Over 90% of disaster funding is completely reactive to an event once it occurs. What we want is to be able to use some of that funding for betterment before an actual event occurs. Now it even gets a little more silly, in that with much of the funding, you have to build back as is. So, if a bridge gets flooded, you get unlocked grant money to fix that, but you have to fix it to exactly the same standard. It's just going to get flooded again. So we're saying, how about we do some betterment work before the event? And even if there is an event and the bridge is damaged, how about we rebuild it higher. It is common sense. Again, it's just a waste of money. It's a huge issue for Dungog Shire because we have had considerable natural disasters over the last couple of years, and our budget has taken a massive hit at the moment. It's a real challenge for Dungog Shire. So those are the main things I really pushed, as well as some other issues across the Hunter. Anyway, we're slowly getting some traction there. I think every Minister I met and spoke with genuinely understood the challenges, and I guess time will tell whether they're actually willing to move the needle on any of it.
Bringing it back to Dungog Shire Council, the Community Satisfaction Survey is now open. I think this has been discussed quite a bit, so I won't go into too much detail, but this is your chance to give direct feedback on the Council's performance. Whether it's roads, parks, facilities, or services, your input will help shape how the Council plans, prioritises, and delivers for the community. I hear a lot of complaints about what the Council does wrong, so if you have complaints, make sure you go online and fill out the survey. It's really important. The survey is open until April 13. You can find a link on the website, and there are also printed copies available in person. Plus, you can check Facebook for links too. Make sure you take the time to complete it.
Now, with the Easter long weekend here, I won't take up too much of your time. I know you're all eager to get away, but don't forget, it's a big weekend for Dungog Shire. We have the Dungog Rodeo, which is arguably the biggest event on the Dungog calendar, happening on Saturday. We also have the Gresford Billy Cart Derby, so hopefully you can go there and make it back in time for the Rodeo. Last year, the Rodeo was absolutely huge, and I expect it to be even bigger this year. I'll be there, and hopefully, I'll see you there.
Also, don't forget that during Easter, a few things will be closed. Many of the Council facilities will be closing over the long weekend. This includes the Admin Building, Service NSW, the Library, and the Dungog Waste Management Facility. Just check the Facebook page for a list of what's closed and what's open.
And finally, just a reminder: Dungog Shire now has EV charging stations in Dungog and Vacy. So if you're worried about fuel and coming to the shire from Sydney or traveling a long distance, we've got good news for you! You can bring your EV, charge it, and avoid the ridiculously expensive fuel prices we're facing right now.
Alright, I think that's it from me. So have a great long weekend, and if you see me at the Rodeo, come say hi. Thanks, bye.
