NEWS AND COUNCIL NOTICES
Waste survey shows
environmental awareness
28 May 2014
“Two thirds of ratepayers are either
satisfied or very satisfied with the current level of waste services provided
in the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, according to a waste survey report
completed by consultants last week.”
This is a misleading statement. Two
thirds of ratepayers did not
complete the survey.
Conducted over several weeks in April
of this year, the survey generated more than 725 responses from 7795 property
owners - well above the expected 5% response rate.
We can reasonably assume that all 7795
property owners are ratepayers. Two thirds of that number of ratepayers would yield
5197.
Why has the author used the phrase “more than 725 responses”? Were they unable to make an accurate count?
Consultants reported ratepayers
predominantly ranked the ability to recycle, the easy-of-use of waste services
and environmental welfare as their primary considerations when determining
satisfaction levels, ahead of the cost of services.
This comment needs to be unpacked to
ascertain how many respondents were local resident/ratepayers, investment/ratepayers,
corporate/ratepayers. Residents are not stupid, they know that we have a high
number of absentee owners, this is the shire reported with the highest growth
of empty investment properties in the Capes Regional Economic Profile 2009
“For Augusta Margaret
River unoccupied dwellings jumped grew (sic) 128 per cent... ”
Investors and corporations can claim back
their rates as a business expense, therefore cost is less of an issue. Were local residents
adequately represented in the data analysed? Our councillors must scrutinize
this variable.
These sentiments were further
reflected with people in non-recycling pick up town sites such as Kudardup,
Hamelin Bay and Augusta recording the lower levels of satisfaction in the
Shire.
Did the respondents from those locations actually record
lower levels of satisfaction in the shire, or the recycling arrangements, the
hours the transfer stations were open, or waste management overall? Everybody has low levels of satisfaction in the shire, we didn't need a consultant to tell us that.
I can't continue reading this without too much stress, so will wait until the full document is available and the intellects of our councillors' have critically reviewed, revised and provided comments.
