Ratepayers associations ruckus erupts

The DRRA - commonly associated with councillor Ben Shields after its strong support of his anti-rate rise platform in last year’s council elections - has refused to admit membership to people it says have connections with the Dubbo City Development Corporation (DCDC).

Cr Shields and DRRA Greg Mohr yesterday claimed the sudden increase in interest in joining the DRRA was an attempt at “branch stacking”, and a bid by DCDC members and supporters to silence DRRA members who had been critical of the DCDC and its previous incarnation, Grow Dubbo.

DCDC board chairman Bill Kelly sees things differently and is seeking to establish a rival organisation.

“We want a strong ratepayers’ association, not a Mickey Mouse association that pretends to represent 20,000 people in Dubbo with a membership of five or 10. One that can not be manipulated by a couple of people,” he said.

And he has support from an unlikely source.

Disgruntled former office bearers for the DRRA Ken and Elaine Russell, strong supporters of Cr Shields in last year’s election - Mr Russell was third on Cr Shields group ticket in the election - have attacked the flank of the original association but are yet to say if they will join the new association.

The trouble has brewed since the DRRA’s annual general meeting in August, when the Russells stood down from their leadership roles.

Mr Kelly says the Russells approached him about their concerns with the DRRA.

As a “concerned ratepayer” he moved to “straightening the organisation up”, but says his attempt to join the DRRA was refused.

Mr Kelly has since moved to set up the Dubbo Rural and Suburban Residents and Ratepayers Association (DRSRRA), which will have “transparency” and “accountability” high in its sights.

He said it would have an open membership, even extended to DRRA members.

He said the new association was a positive development for Dubbo, while Cr Shields defended the DRRA’s decision to restrict membership and denied he used the DRRA as a platform to further his political ambitions.

“I’m a member but I hold no executive position,” he said.

“I go along and have my say, but it’s not another mouthpiece for me.”

He defended the DRRA for refusing membership, saying that with a new president and secretary the association was trying to let them settle in before it went on a membership drive.

Cr Shields said the DRRA was “swamped” with membership requests from 30 people associated with the DCDC.

“The association has been critical of Grow Dubbo for a long time, (then) 30 memberships (appear), people can come to their own conclusions,” he said.

Cr Shields said the DRRA always met the second Tuesday of the month, and that it had been previous secretary Elaine Russell’s prerogative to advertise the venue - something that the Russells now condemn for not happening.

Cr Shields lists gaining 5000 signatures on an anti-rate rise petition as one of the DRRA’s major achievements for the city of Dubbo.

“We need to get ordinary folk more involved, they’re not being properly represented,” he said.

Mr Mohr, who assumed the presidency of the DRRA in August, only to step down because of constitutional challenges raised by the Russells, says DRRA membership is open, but up to the committee to decide.

“We sought advice from Fair Trading, we’re within our jurisdiction to decline given they came from the one committee in Dubbo,” he said.

“Fair Trading called it branch stacking.”

Mr Mohr showed commitment to the DRRA’s purpose.

“We’re a committee that wants to hold the council accountable for its actions and inactions.

“We’re not a committee to help justify other committees’ existence in Dubbo.”

The Russells remain “very disappointed” about the outcome because the DRRA was “there for the people”.

Mrs Russell welcomed the new association, and hoped it would be “worthwhile” and not used by one person to take a “political stance”.

faye.wheeler@ruralpress.com