financial year would have added to our debt burden because only half of the necessary funds could be found to make up the shortfall. It is expected to be removed, finally, in the 2007-08 budget.

The debt level has been reduced but it is fair to say that there was little that could be done by the newly elected council as most of the capital expenditure is locked in from previous years. This is the best outcome we could achieve without a 'slash and burn' policy, but the interest payment alone is still $3 million. Council will be able to reduce the debt level over the next few years, but it will mean sacrificing community expectations for certain types of infrastructure. The Shire is returning to a conservative approach to spending on infrastructure and will concentrate on the fundamentals, the 'life sustaining' rather than the 'life style' projects.

The rates have risen by 7 percent but the State-initiated revaluation of properties has brought about a reduction of more than $20 for more than 40 percent of ratepayers. The operating costs of the Shire are increasing at greater than CPI and the cost of living.

I recommend the budget to you as a directional change taken by elected councillors rather than by the chief officer of the employees.

NEWS FROM TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENTS
KooWeeRup: Township meetings are 1st Wednesday in the month. Venue varies so check for latest details. Streetscape is nearing completion. Problems with road maintenance, footpaths and trees are regularly reported to Cr Doug Hamilton. In April Landcare and the Cardinia Environmental Coalition held a seminar on land degradation and the effects of development in rural and coastal areas, attended by the Federal Member for Flinders.

Pakenham: Urbanisation continues its frenzied takeover of this once peaceful rural town. Examples are the 50 hectare land development at Cardinia Lakes, 600 homes on the proposed golf course development, 622 on the Fallingwater estate, another 1000 blocks north of Kennedy Road and west of Army Road, 600 homes on Syme Road, the mammoth and rapidly growing development at Lakeside with a further 30 hectares set aside for residential blocks the other side of Cardinia Road, and a proposal for 450 to 500 blocks at Thewlis Road.

Is infrastructure keeping up? Not likely! Roads, public transport, schools and parking at local shopping centres are already at capacity levels and not enough is being done to meet the needs of new residents. Good luck to Cardinia Shire Council as it grapples with this metropolitan mayhem!

Bunyip: Our correspondent sees a bright future for this outlying township as it celebrates its centenary in June this year. The Bunyip Hall has been refurbished in heritage colours and the Anzac Gardens are being fully redeveloped. Around 140 residents attended a recent meeting to discuss a draft township assessment, and a new Progress Association is planned.

Emerald: Council continues to ignore illegal felling of trees, according to one resident, who after many months is still waiting for a response to a complaint, supported by other residents, about excessive clearing and excavation works on a neighbouring property that did not meet the permit conditions. Like many of the outlying towns of Cardinia, Emerald is under constant threat from the urban planners at Pakenham, who impose their concrete jungles and unsympathetic architecture on our once beautiful townships but fail to insist that local businesses maintain a clean and attractive environment. On a positive note, the new library is on schedule for opening in July.

Editor's note CRRA regrets that, due to lack of space, we are unable to print the full text of readers' letters. Instead we can provide summaries only of township news, but propose to convey the full text via the Association's website, which is . . . www.crra.org.au