Dear Editor,- Re Leo Hamulczyk’s swimming pool letter: Unlike a swimming pool, the Raymond Island Ferry is not a ‘facility’. Councils have considerable discretion about facilities and the fees charged. The public has discretion about using them, including paying.
Roads are a public good, not discretionary facilities.
A road ferry is a public way at common law, a highway under various acts and an essential part of the local road network. The law requires councils to manage these roads. Residents have no discretion about using them to get to and from home.
Leo’s call for ‘user pays with full cost recovery’ is not legally supportable.
Other than declared toll roads, governments do not have the statutory power to charge tolls for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to use the public way.
This includes the ferry. The Federal fuel excise is the only universal road funding source in Australia.
Ferry fees are also a charge on residents going home. Council’s published policy is that no resident of Raymond Island shall pay a fee to access their home.
This is why (Raymond Island Community Association) RICA is currently working with councillors to ensure council policy is implemented – and our community gets the same rights as everyone else.
As for Leo’s uncharitable pot-shot at people based on where they live – ‘get over it’ – perhaps he resents his rates paying for things he doesn’t use.
He should internalise this revenue principle: we don’t get back in value what we pay in taxes. We pay rates according to our assessed means, and council allocates the revenue according to need.
I’m pleased that Leo has given me the opportunity to provide these insights for the benefit of readers.
Yours etc.,
William Monfries, acting president of RICA.
