“At the April ordinary Wattle Range Council meeting a number of confidential items were reviewed as required and subsequently made public.

This included items regarding the purchase of the Tantanoola Quarry for $1.3m, and the sale of the council-owned Millicent Service Station located on Adelaide Road for $1.1m.

I was not required to vote on both these decisions, as the Mayor only has a casting vote.

A Mayoral casting vote will only occur in the event of an equality of votes on the question for a decision.

In both these decisions a casting vote was not required.

As with all decisions of council that are made in the council chamber by the councillors they have my support as a collective council.

I had a request from The SE Voice to deliver a personal view.

My personal view is, I am of the belief that it is not in the best interests of our rate payers to be owning private businesses such as a service station nor is it council’s core business so I was pleased that a successful sale was forthcoming.

The sale of the service station had the potential to deliver strong marketing competition in the

local petroleum industry for local petrol consumers.

It has been reported in the print media there was more than one expression of interest for the purchase of the Adelaide Road Service Station site that was recommended with an offering of $1.3m but was disappointingly not accepted by council.

As a council we must ensure we deliver the highest level of business management, for the greatest outcome for rate payers whom we represent.

The Tantanoola quarry purchase was based on a sound business case and will provide the Wattle Range Council with some of the best quality road building material within the Limestone Coast.

A life span of some 30 years, and a strong financial return at the end of life.

The quarry resource purchase will save council a significant amount of money over the duration of its operational life.

Mayor Des Noll,

Wattle Range Council