This article presents Mayor Louie Zaffina's views and updates on Balranald Shire developments. The opinions expressed regarding climate policy, water buybacks, and other political matters are those of Mayor Zaffina personally and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Balranald Shire Council or other councillors. If you have a question for Mayor Zaffina please get in touch with us at The Riverine Grazier. Wind farm transport route could bring infrastructure benefits A potential new transport route for wind turbine components through Balranald could possibly result in significant infrastructure improvements for the region. Mayor Louie Zaffina revealed that wind farm companies are considering three possible routes for transporting turbines to approved wind farm sites. "One option is through the Port of Newcastle, where they bring them in from overseas, but then they've got to truck them down the Hume Highway and then across to where these wind farms have been approved," Zaffina explained. "Another option was through Melbourne and then truck them up north of Melbourne, but the preferred option is Adelaide. “The preferred Adelaide route would see turbines transported across through Pinnaroo, Lameroo, over the Robinvale Euston Bridge, and then along the Sturt Highway between Euston and Balranald, through Balranald." This route was discussed at a recent Sturt Highway Task Force meeting, with representatives from Transport for NSW in attendance. Significantly, if the route proceeds through Balranald, the wind farm companies would have to pay for overtaking lanes on the Sturt Highway. When Zaffina asked about extending these improvements between Euston and Mildura, officials indicated this wouldn't be covered by the wind farm companies. However, he sees this as an opportunity. "We could lobby the government saying, 'Well look, you've got overtaking lanes proposed between Euston and Balranald, and the other side of Balranald towards you guys, so something good can come out of this,” Louie said. The possibility of a temporary bypass around Balranald was briefly discussed, though Mayor Zaffina notes this would require extensive community consultation. "It's only a temporary bypass, but who's going to spend a lot of money just to make it temporary, and then what's to say that it's not going to be continued?" he questioned. Water supply takeover proposal raises concerns The NSW Government's proposal to take over water supply and sewage services for rural towns has generated concern among local councils. Mayor Zaffina expressed personal reservations about the plan, though he clarified these were his own views rather than formal council policy. "I'm a little bit concerned that if that was to happen, would they just raise the price of everything?" he said. "I think we're against it, but you know, we don't want to see the prices go sky high." The council's General Manager was attending a meeting in Griffith to discuss the proposal, with more details expected to emerge from those discussions. Push for increased FAGs funding The shire is actively lobbying for an increase in Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) funding from the current 0.5 per cent to two per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue. Mayor Zaffina noted strong support from the NSW Government for this increase. "I think it used to be two per cent once upon a time," he said. "That'll be great if that could happen, and I think governments need to start understanding that we need extra funding out here in the rural areas and stop looking after the city and chasing votes." He emphasised the importance of regional development. "It's about time they started recognising the needs that we have out here. If they're talking about not enough housing, there are parts of the region where houses are available at a good price. How many people can they fit in the city? How many more tunnels can they build and freeways? It's about time they started looking at regional areas,” he said. Climate policy and regional impact Mayor Zaffina shared strong views on current climate policy, particularly the net zero emissions target and its impact on regional communities. He stressed these were his personal opinions rather than council policy. "I believe that the net-zero target is just not common sense and it's not happening all over the world. New Zealand's walked away from it, and I think governments need to reconsider and stop putting so much pressure on communities with the prices of electricity," he said. While not opposed to renewable energy in principle, Zaffina criticised the pace of implementation. "I'm not against renewables, but I'm for common sense. We still have to put food on the table, we still have to survive, we still have to have an economy,” he said. “We can't, on the basis of an ideology of this target that's just killing our regions with the prices of electricity." He questioned the urgency of Australia's approach. "There's no scientist in the world that's going to say that Australia hitting the net zero target by a certain date is somehow going to change the climate,” he said. “You've got New Zealand that have walked away from the net-zero target, America has, China has not committed to it yet. Why are they going so hard on us in Australia?" Mayor Zaffina advocated for a more gradual approach. "I think it's common sense just to do things at a gradual pace and head in the right direction, but do it comfortably where we can make the transition comfortably." Major developments in Euston Several significant projects are underway or planned for Euston, demonstrating the shire's commitment to improving facilities and attracting visitors. Proposed Medical Facility The council is seeking grant funding to build doctor's rooms in Euston on council land at the recreational ground. "We're applying for a grant. It's already been resolved at a council meeting, but we haven't got the funding for it yet," Mayor Zaffina explained. He acknowledged the challenges of securing medical services in rural areas. "I know there's always a chance that there might be a time when we don't have a doctor, but that's happening everywhere,” he said. “You can't say, 'Well, we're not going to build something because we're never going to get a doctor.' If you do get a doctor, you have to have somewhere for them to practise." The facility would provide flexibility for council operations as well. "Worst case scenario, if we have trouble getting a doctor, at least we have rooms that are council-owned, and we can then at least maybe do something else with it,” he said. “We could have it as shire office rooms where people that may not want to travel to Balranald to work at the council might want to work out of these rooms in Euston. Heritage and Tourism Projects The council has secured funding to renovate the old courthouse in Euston, with plans to develop it as a tourist attraction. "We have been successful in some funding to do up the old courthouse. It needs some revamp, and there's problems with dampness and moisture coming up," Zaffina said. The vision includes creating a museum or attraction where we create foot traffic for tourism. Infrastructure Improvements Several infrastructure projects are planned or underway: There has been $250,000 secured from flood grants to revitalise the Euston to Robinvale walkway, including additional seating. Upgrades to Lake Benanee facilities with improved toilets and seating to accommodate the increasing number of caravans using the free camping area. A proposed footpath from the township to the recreational ground along the highway. Plans for a toilet block at Anderson Park, where the children's playground currently lacks facilities "What happens when parents have got four kids running around and it's just them on their own? They have to get all their kids because one of them wants to go to the toilet, they have to put them all in the car or walk across the street," Zaffina noted, highlighting the practical need for the facilities. Water and emergency services The council is awaiting results from an Integrated Water Management Strategy for the Euston water treatment plant to assess whether augmentation is needed as the town grows. Additionally, they're considering relocating the fire station. "The brigade is right next to the water treatment plant, and there isn’t a lot of room for either, so we're thinking maybe if we can find another allocation for the fire station, we could then get more room for the treatment plant." Staff Restructuring and Recruitment The shire has undergone significant staff restructuring, with Director of Governance Glenn Carroll departing the council. "Mr Carroll has now left. I want to wish him all the best for the future, and thank him for his time at the council,” Mayor Zaffina said. Addressing Vandalism Concerns The issue of vandalism in public areas has been a concern for the council, particularly given efforts to attract tourism to the region. Zaffina acknowledged the challenges while emphasising the need for a multi-faceted approach. "We've spoken with the police, and I know the police suggested that we put a ban on children being in those areas after a certain time, but council are a little bit reluctant with that," he said. “By and large, we have a great community, it's disappointing this small element have no respect for public property." "We've had some concerns raised from the tourist industry about that. I know it happens everywhere, but we are looking at ways to help. There is no singular or single fix; it has to be a combination of a lot of things." Water buyback scheme opposition Mayor Zaffina expressed strong opposition to government water buyback schemes, providing detailed insights into the historical context and potential consequences for rural communities. Historical context "I completely don't agree with it. I think the government started all this when they separated water from land," Zaffina explained. "In our father’s time, if you had 50 acres of land, they would allocate 200 megalitres of water on it, and you could only use that water on that parcel of land. If you didn't use all that water, what you didn't use stayed in the river." He described how the separation of water rights from land created new problems. “They separated water from land, created another title, so therefore what you don't use, you can lease it out to big companies. “This is what allowed big companies to buy water. They separated water from land rather than big companies buying the land; they bought the water," he said. Current Consequences The mayor argued that the buyback scheme would have uneven regional impacts. "What's going to happen is it's going to make certain areas go backwards,” he said. “There will be some areas going well and they're actually buying water, and then you will have other areas where the water has been taken away." He cited specific examples. "A lot of water got taken from the Echuca area to the Robinvale area because they plant almonds. I understand the government are trying to fix a problem, but they actually created it." Alternative Solutions Rather than buybacks, Mayor Zaffina advocated for increasing water supply. "The other way of fixing the problem is increasing the flow – in other words, capturing more water in the catchment areas. Rather than buyback water, why don't they spend the money on harvesting more water?" He pointed to historical precedents. "They built Dartmouth, Snowy Hydro, they built all these great things, but they haven't done anything for decades. “There are things governments can do on the Darling River, up in the Darling catchment. There are projects they can implement to increase the flow, but there are plans that have been sitting in filing cabinets for decades." Double Standards "Why is it that they're not doing water buybacks in the city? Why aren't they shutting down suburbs because there's not enough water? You know what they do in the city when they run out of water? They source more water. "The same principle doesn't apply in the city. In the city, they're not telling the suburbs to knock down all your houses because there's no more water for you. But yet, in the country, they want you to reduce what you're doing, and they don't want to source extra water." Long-term Concerns Zaffina expressed concern about the consolidation of farming. "How does the average young person ever get into farming? How are they ever going to buy a bit of land and start farming? “All I can see out of all this is that big companies are going to own all the farms and all the water, and they're making it attractive for the little farms to sell their water and get out." He believes this is part of a broader trend. "They want big companies to own everything,” he said. “It's easier for the unions to control 20 big companies than 5,000 little growers. Small businesses are getting pushed out, and water is how they did it." Property Valuations Increase The NSW Valuer General has increased property valuations in Balranald by approximately 29 per cent, though Mayor Zaffina noted this doesn't directly translate to rate increases due to the formula used in rate calculations. "The NSW Valuer General did put up the values in Balranald by 29 per cent. There is a formula – it doesn't mean that your rates are going to go up by 29 per cent," he explained. “The valuation is approximately 12 months old, and while some see it as positive, others have concerns about the implications.” Community Consultation on Water Issues The shire has been facilitating community meetings to gather feedback on the impact of water buyback schemes. Meetings were scheduled for both Balranald and Euston to ensure broad community input on this critical issue affecting local farming communities.
