Kangaroo Island watergap motion, comments censored by Council – Cr Walkom, 2014.06.11

Submitted by Councillor Graham Walkom, 2014.06.11

Please consider this motion that I have [submitted] in this week’s Council meeting. Like many islanders, I believe it to be the most significant fix all for the island. For some totally unfathomable reason KIFA does not support this initiative to get state and federal support in this area.
Please use this motion and my comment to it as appropriate. It is disappointing that the mayor (a KIFA board member), with responsibility for the content in the council agenda, appears to have seen fit to remove the supporting argument from this motion. I call on all businesses to actively lobby for this essential equaliser of the business playing field.

thanks

Graham Walkom

Kangaroo Island Watergap Motion:

That Council as a matter of urgency, seeks State and Federal Government financial support to fully subsidise the sea corridor passenger and transport services to Kangaroo Island to ensure the cost of doing business by road transport to and from this island is not at any disadvantage to any other SA Council or Regional areas which have fully subsidised road, bridge and ferry services; and further that council engages support from the tourism, primary industry and small business sectors in these endeavours.

Comment to be included to explain and support the motion [suppressed from the Council’s documents and reinstated on KIpolis — webmaster]:

Despite the current ferry company providing the best range of services the Island has ever had, it will again run at a loss for the next 3 or 4 months of the year.

We continue to have many announcements, but the Kangaroo Island economy continues to languish in uncomfortable financial troughs indicating the current initiatives are ineffective or misguided.

Council’s finances are firmly established in a steep and accelerating downtrend of red ink. The future, our young islanders, continue to leave. Freight costs incurred by all island business sectors is killing genuine investment.

Our housing market is terrible with prices having dived up to 40% in the last 3 years with 89 houses currently on the market. Recent political “initiatives” have failed dismally to even look like addressing these matters and it is time for the council to listen and spend time on core issues such as the water-gap which has long been advocated by all forms of island business as essential for this island’s wellbeing.

3 thoughts on “Kangaroo Island watergap motion, comments censored by Council – Cr Walkom, 2014.06.11

  1. The reality of this situation is that “Australia’s best kept secret” is being sadly undervalued in all areas, be it tourism, primary production, gourmet products, real estate, beautiful place to live & the one constant complaint is the cost of ‘getting there’. If transport providers are running at a loss for 3 – 4 months (& who isn’t!!!) then the solution to this negative & dreadful situation must lie federally. Certainly needs more than the current lip service which is replayed like an old fashioned vinyl record with the needle stuck.
    Thank you GW for putting this motion forward – let’s hope it remains on the FRONT foot of discussion until a worthwhile solution is found. Australia & KI deserve nothing less.

  2. Water-gap is one strong idea for assisting with KI’s transport costs, but it should not be delivered as a supplement to Sealink’s income.
    Real competition would be a good start!
    What a shame our pollies allowed the establishment of a monopoly!

  3. Oh Barbara what a wonderful turn of phrase and so to the point of which I concur. Surely the Mayor will take some advice from her two best councillors. How unfortunate for us all. Well done also Graham. I will be at the meeting today and if you believe in miracles who knows after four years the Mayor and her other slack councillors will come to the party.

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