Priorities

I hosted a working group meeting last week for Councils in regional NSW who have little to no money to operate with. With the burden of increasing compliance these Councils have to find the resources (people and money) to monitor and report on a huge range of operational aspects. They are so busy chasing their own tails that they often don't find the breathing space to evaluate their operations and make sure that how they deliver services to their communities is optimised to improve service and reduce costs.

These Councils literally compete for funding from the State and Federal Government to comply with legislation set by the State and Federal Government. And the funding available is never guaranteed nor is it very much money.

In contrast one of the presenters works for a private, family owned company. This company has to comply with similar regulations and additionally have pressures from customers to comply. The difference here is the order of magnitude of funding that this private company receives from the State and Federal Government to help them comply. The figures were truly shocking. And the profits go to one family.

If a tiny proportion of what was spent on assisting this private business could be spent on our local councils the flow on effects would be incredibly positive for our regional communities.

The photo above made me think of the amount of money that is spent on space exploration and on AI whilst the education system struggles to educate our children and our planet could do with an injection of cash before we set up communities on the moon.

Perhaps a good reminder to stop and think about how we prioritise and add value to the life that we lead right now.