🚀 go-pugleaf

"Troppo" <troppo19@notsohotmail.com> wrote in message
> "FarmI" <ask@itshall be given> wrote in
> news:469c5cd8$0$12821$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au:
>
>> [snip]
>
>> Councils cannot "legislate" to do anything.  George got it wrong.
>
> They can - through Planning Schemes and Local Laws

Well it's interesting to learn something new.

I know that my local government has no-one on staff who could possibly draft 
legislation, (they have enough trouble writing a simple letter to ratepayers 
that is written in comprehensible English, let alone something as complex as 
legislation).  I've never heard of them doing anything but "regulating". 
And come to think of it I've never heard of our Council either drafting a 
law or seeking Royal Assent for any piece of Legislation.

How do Councils go about this?  Is there some sort of "Legislation Drafting 
for Councils" service that they contract to when they require "legislation"? 
And how is this enacted into Law?  By that I mean what is the process?  I 
understand what happens at State and Federal level but obviously Local 
Authorities "legislating" must have passed me by entirely.

>> It would make more sense for all Councils Australia-wide to levy water
>> rates at a high rate on anyone with land of more than an eighth of an
>> acre
>
> And get voted out of office at the next LG election.

Ha!  You assume that people care about what happens at a local level!  If 
the people of Oz have failed to notice the truly appallling things that have 
been happening at a Federal level for the past 11 years, and that they are 
only now waking up to the lies they have been told ad finitum, it seems a 
bit much to think that they'd notice at a local level.

I try to follow our local stuff but even I can't get fixed in my head the 
difference between 2 particular councillors with similar sounding names and 
it's important that I do so for our next lot of elections.  One is a right 
mongrel and should be shot at dawn because of his knowing environmental 
destruction and the other is simply a drone, inoffensive and probably 
ineffectual but not deliberately and knowingly destructive.

Eighth of an acre =
> 500m2 = maybe 80% of properties around here.

Not round here, but how many properties it applies to is not relevent.  We 
live in the driest inhabited continent on earth and most of the people 
(especially those in high density areas) think that water is both a right 
and available at the turn of a tap.  Neither view makes sense in this land.

>> and at the same time fast-track applications to approve the
>> installation of water tanks for use as domestic water.
>
> As previuosly advised, not cost-effective in most areas - unless (maybe)
> the water supply is actually running out.

Yep!  Many of the areas round me are doing just that (or have been till 
recent rains saved their bacon - town of 25K with months of water left and 
counting down by the day.

You live in a water rich area, so appreciate it while you have it.  I live 
in an area with supposedly "reliable rainfall". The last 10 years have not 
been like that.  In fact the last time we had really good water (subsoil and 
surface) was in 1988.  Currently we are getting wonderful rain but given the 
time it will take to get to subsoil level, I'd like to see it rain for the 
next 5 years at least 2 days a week.

> In most areas of Queensland tanks do not require a permit unless they are
> on a stand or greater than 2.4m in height.

That makes sense.  Most NSW Coucils that I know of seem to require approval. 
Presumably because of changes required to plumbing or storm water or 
somesuch.

>> Supplying and maintaining water storage and delivery is an expensive
>> business.
>
> Standard rate here is around $0.50 per kL

Please reread my sentence.  I was not talking about the cost of water.  I 
was talking about the infrastructure that Councils need to supply, store and 
provide water to ratepayers in those communities where they do so.  And in 
most areas the population is still growing as the infrastructure is getting 
increasingly archaic and needs servicing, renewing, upgrading.

>> Given the move over the last 10 years for all forms of
>> authorities to get out of the business of doing anything for anyone
>> that they possibly can, it surprises me that this hasn't happened
>> already.
>
> The trend is to sell off assets that look good at the time but are going
> to be a problem later. Difficult to sell something that has already
> failed (eg SEQ water supply).

Hmmmmm.  Now if you go back to what I wrote before................  If all 
dwellings in SEQ on more than an eighth of an acre had domestic water tanks, 
water probably would not be a problem for them.  They might have to watch 
their usage but that would be a good thing.  They might learn that water 
doesn't come out of taps.