Michelle Daw, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Barunga West Council has stepped up its fight to get better value for money from the levy collected by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board.
Ratepayers will contribute $252,447 this financial year to the board for projects within its region, which includes 15 council areas.
BWC elected members are concerned how levy funds are distributed and are bringing the issue to the Local Government Association’s ordinary general meeting on October 26.
Council is calling for the state government to review its approach to managing landscapes and natural resources, including community engagement, transparency and equitable allocation of the levy and its resources.
The submission to the LGA says there is minimal engagement with council about the board’s activities and limited investment in the area or funding allocations to landholders compared with the total levy contribution.
Council CEO Maree Wauchope wrote to Environment Minister Susan Close in June, stating there was a prevailing belief residents were underwriting prominent projects by NYLB in other local government areas, while neglecting more routine but critical issues such as weed and pest control.
In response, Ms Close outlined the projects BWC had directly benefited from including installation of a nest platform at Port Broughton for endangered eastern ospreys, coastal garden workshops in Tickera and Port Broughton, funding for three Grassroots Grants projects and weed management.
Ms Close said the board allocated funding for roadside weed control in each council area and this had included African boxthorn control by contractors near Tickera and the Willamulka corridor.
However, Councillor Kevin Beinke said boxthorn was prevalent on roadsides throughout the council area and could even be seen growing next to signs put up by NYLB to encourage its control.
“There is more to boxthorn control than putting up signs,” he said.
“We could employ a team of locals to do that work.”
African boxthorn is a declared pest throughout South Australia under the Landscape SA Act 2019.
According to Primary Industries and Regions SA, landscape boards are required to control plants on road reserves and may recover costs from adjoining land owners.
Mayor Leonie Kerley said BWC could use the levy funds far more effectively than NYLB. “We could do wonders with that $250,000,” she said.
“It’s in the millions of dollars we have outlaid (in levy funds) and we have not got millions of dollars back.”
Members of the public will also get a chance to learn more about the issue when council holds a public information session at its Port Broughton chambers at 5pm on Tuesday, August 22.
It will feature a presentation by NYLB chief executive Tony Fox and audience members will be able to ask questions.
Related story: BWC questions value of landscape board
This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 15 August 2023.
