I doubt she has seen another memorial site as well designed as Grenfell’s.

With the paving depicting the Rising Sun emblem of the diggers, rosemary thriving in the encircling gardens and shady trees throughout, it was a scene fit for the purpose.

The design of the memorial and the adjoining park (can readers remember the wide expanse of bitumen and concrete that was there before?) was prepared by local lass Elena Grimm while still studying landscape architecture, under the oversight of the then Heritage Advisor John Winston-Gregson.

What we have today is a credit to them both, and is a feature that Grenfell can be very proud of.

In its own way, the setting reflects the community’s regard for the fallen and those who returned.

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An observant Facebook user has posted an article on the “You Know You’re From Grenfell” site about “the 10 cheapest towns in NSW to buy a house”.

Grenfell is ranked number 9 behind mainly western towns although Bombala and Harden also get a guernsey. 

This analysis of real estate sales for 2017 may be correct in a narrow sense but your scribe is not sure that the listing is an accurate reflection of the current housing situation.

Many readers would remember in the late 1990s when Grenfell had up to 60 properties for sale, with prices as low as $40,000.

Out of this predicament grew the Grenfell Open Day programme, with advice from consultant Barry Brebner (coincidently Kelly Crutcher’s father), and after a shaky start it twice attracted national television coverage and hundreds of prospective residents.

The programme gave Grenfell a reputation for entrepreneurial innovation right throughout the state and was quickly copied by other local governments.

Many of these were coastal councils which eventually outshone Grenfell’s appeal.

The programme was so successful that during its course, council’s Economic Development Officer reported his findings that property prices in Grenfell had doubled.

The benefit of this fell to everyone who owned a house in town, either in the selling price or the value of the asset held.

A number of valuable new residents were also gained and many still remain. 

By far the major part of the development south of the level crossing in the Young Road area has taken place since that time.

There may be some cheap places available, but there has also been a lot of new residences constructed.

The town seems to be growing steadily with good quality housing.

In the opinion of the Feather Duster, Grenfell’s position in the analysis above doesn’t seem to do justice to the actual situation on the ground.

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The NSW Auditor-General has released its report on the performance of councils during 2016/17, based on information drawn from the councils’ financial statements for the year. 

A quick perusal indicates that Weddin has done well in all the comparative ratios except for one named “Own Source Operating Revenue,” which is the proportion of council income raised from rates and other charges.

Weddin’s figure was 44.2%, well under the department’s somewhat arbitrary benchmark of 60%. According to the report, only 15 rural councils met this criterion and 42 failed.

To demonstrate how meaningless the 60% benchmark is, Weddin could improve this ratio by foregoing the work on the Mid Western and Newell Highways which is all paid for by the RMS/RTA/DMR.

This would decrease the total overall income and correspondingly increase the proportion of income from rates etc.

This would be a disastrous outcome for Weddin in many ways but would presumably be seen as more acceptable by the state government. 

These sorts of unjustified arbitrary criteria are how the state government progressively sets the scene for its recurrent drives to amalgamate councils.

Nothing is happening at the moment after the public reaction to the last dismal attempt, but in time it will be on again using their concocted accounting contrivances.

We must remain wary.

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The dedication this week is to the local ratepayers and rather than a song, it is the Don Chipp slogan for the Australian Democrats in 1977:

“Keep the Bastards Honest!” – He tried hard, and so must we.

Feather Duster No 3

T Lobb

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You can also check out the Grenfell Record’s weekly installment of Pollie Crackers by visiting the website at www.grenfellrecord.com.au