What we aren’t getting to see from the Administration is accounting figures that actually add up. Try comparing year on year, based on the published figures & you will soon realize we have a problem.

Understanding the ‘Principles’ of the new Local Government Act is important here. Have a look at ‘Financial Management’ – ‘What it means’: “Accounts and records that explain the financial position of the Council must be kept”. Note the word ‘explain’ – that is almost entirely absent in the council documents. Unfortunately, it doesn’t say they must be made public, so the administration have an ‘out’. The bottom line is that collectively all of this is generally referred to as ‘Accounts’, or ‘Accounting’ and the Administration is being called upon to adopt a much more literal interpretation of what that means.

The same applies to Auditing – the entire exercise today is far removed from the true meaning – have a look in your dictionary. Today it’s nothing more than an orchestrated dance around what it should be. The ‘process’ in use now actually works to conceal malfeasance et al, rather than to shine a light on it. Look at the failures in other places that have relied on the system being used in SGS. Just for a start, verbal reports need to be replaced with properly documented reports. Let’s get fair dinkum!

Again, South Gippsland Action Group finds itself posing the question: ‘What is there to hide?’

Noblesse Oblige.

Yours sincerely,

John McCombe,