Councils work in funny ways B Frank. Several years ago I had an overhanging branch on my nature strip tree, and it nearly took my eye out one day. A bit annoyed I grabbed a pair of secatuers and cut it back. I was spotted by somebody and a few hours later, TWO Council employers came to my house and told me I could be liable for a fine as I "could have ruined the tree". When I pointed out it was a scrubby ti-tree and I could have attacked it with a blunt axe without ruining it, "don't make any difference" was the stern reply. I told them to go ahead and fine me if they wanted and closed the door. Guess what? it blew down last year.

I have 2 enormous trees VERY close to the house and the council will NOT let me have them removed--however where the developers are making new estates they have taken every tree down and made it look like a dessert.

however where the developers are making new estates they have taken every tree down and made it look like a dessert.



Yes of course developers get away with it because it is in the Council's interest to pack as many dwellings on any piece of land, that will all pay Council Rates. Why do you think the Council Chambers are fitted out with all the creature comforts? The developers put in the roads and services when all the Council has to do is sweep the street once a year (if you are lucky) and cart away your rubbish.

and cart away your rubbish.



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Yes and we pay for that anyway

Aaahhh...councils. Doncha love 'em?



One time, 3 large ,full garbage bags were dumped across the road. . Rang the council. Few days later...still there, breaking open, rubbish starting to scatter. Rang again. Same story..a few days later.

Eventually, they told me they'd sent someone, and they couldn't find it. It was in full view Long story short...it took them three weeks to cart it away.

We are having a spate of rubbish dumping on the nature strips outside of houses ..........Sometimes the occupants are moving and sometimes European ethnics dump the stuff also and in this latter case they hope that it gives a less fortunate person the opportunity to take what they want ...........In either case I often ring the Council who invariable say that they have men on a constant lookout for this but In many cases the rubbish can stay in full view for a couple of weeks at least............We do have our hard rubbish days and if you ring them they will let you know when these are ................It cheeses me off that the Council take a lazy attitude to this situation...........

Oh you shouldn't have got me started on Councils. LOL



A few years ago I regularly took my dogs to the 'dog beach' at Christies Beach. One day I noticed an Onkaparinga Council water tanker with driver aboard parked in the boat-trailer carpark around 9am. While getting my dogs out of the car and locking up, another truck carrying gardening gear and 2 men arrived and parked alongside the first. I walked to the far end of the beach and returned to find a third truck, with 2 men, had joined the other 2 trucks, parking close so they could all discuss what they were reading in the morning papers. I walked the dogs around the boat ramp and you guessed it another water tanker arrived!.



All this had taken place over a period of around an hour. I had an icecream and played ball with the dogs for another 40 minutes before leaving. I couldn't stand to see it any longer, these [b]6[/b] Onkaparinga Council 'employees' wasting my rates money.



I emailed the Council who eventually replied asking "if I took the rego number of the trucks in question"?

I replied, "how many water tankers do you have" (answer '2') and "dont you have any ideas of the movements of your vehicles" (answer, "they could have been having smoko") I replied "for 2 hours" (answer "I dont know, they do start early"?)



So when I want a little bl**dy tree planted, I think of these 6 bludgers and how it could have been fitted into their extended 9am break, with time to spare. The galling part is they still had to waste more time travelling back to their allotted work stations and were quite possibly not even read the riot act to.



A classic example of yours and my taxes at work folks -- disgraceful!

I agree B Frank, but if CEOs can get away with all those millions,

why can't a small man get away with bit of cheating.

I think if there was more honesty from the top down, ordinary

workers would be glad to pull their weight.

The problem Mara is the ideology at the Council -- to do little by creating a bureaucratic nightmare for those requesting assistance, so they give up. And they are less than generous with the truth.



A few months ago I decided to do voluntary work and chose 'driving' the Council-run Community Bus. I have a heavy vehicle licence which simply needed upgrading to light passenger bus (LP) accreditation. After 3 interviews and a test drive I was given the nod and started as an assistant to see what it was all about. Weeks later I was told I would have to complete 5 courses, Licence accreditation, First Aid, Driver awareness, Manual lifting and another I cant recall, before being allowed behind the wheel. All of these courses were booked over a month apart so it would have been quite sometime before I actually drove, and by then I would have retired.



I eventually asked how many hours I would be working each week (to appease Centrelink's 15hour requirement) I was told by the Coordinator "about 4hrs". When I told her of Centrelink's requirement she said "Oh dont worry about that they never check here and most people fudge their hours anyway" I couldn't believe her response and promptly gave it away.



The Community Bus has an over-abundance of volunteers as do most not-for-profit organisations now with Centrelink's option, but I digress... I dont know how many are Centrelink recipients but I can assure you I wasn't prepared to risk lying and have my payments stopped. When the chips were down I doubt if she would risk her position backing up my lies and would have hung me out to dry. Out of all her volunteers I found only 1 who had a nice word to say about her.

I understand Frank.

They enjoy the power to control meanwhile waste our rates.

My neighbour had a huge gum tree on the footpath and the roots were moving his foundations

and of course affecting the structure of the house. After many years of asking for a removal and being rejected, and the damage being done to the house ignored by Prospect Council, a friend suggested he should speak to Air Force Ass. (He is Ex Air Force). Their lawyer did some research and found out that that paticular gum tree is prohibited in residential areas. WOha!! Councill was not too happy but someone had to do the job..