Opinion
9 August, 2026
Time to celebrate our frontline staff
Regardless of what some people believe, I don’t sit around all day thinking of new ways to bag out Wingecarribee Shire Council.
Regardless of what some people believe, I don’t sit around all day thinking of new ways to bag out Wingecarribee Shire Council.
I don’t need to. They do a pretty good job of bringing themselves into disrepute without my help.
But here’s the thing. This week is Local Government Week – a celebration (as I see it) of what councils can, do and should aspire to achieve.
More importantly, it’s a chance to recognise the many good people who work in local government for the betterment of the community.
It’s a thankless task, and having worked for a number of councils across NSW and Tasmania I wear the t-shirt.
Local government employees are predominantly highly skilled and extremely passionate about what they do. They care.
Local government employees should never cop the flack for poor decisions in the council chamber. They are just doing their job within the boundaries and financial constraints imposed upon them.
Here’s what I don’t accept.
If councillors and senior staff say criticism of council (and I’m talking any council) is an attack on staff, I call rubbish.
Personal attacks on local government staff are simply intolerable. Councillors and senior staff are fair game and have no right to deflect their own failings or inadequacies by suggesting that an attack on council (and again, I mean any council) is an attack on staff.
Assume your responsibilities, accept your failures and stop trying to demonise ratepayers by accusing them of attacking staff when they are simply questioning why things are happening like they are – or not happening like they should.
So a shout out to the multitude of local government employees across our region who make things happen. There are a multitude of problems with local government – but the people who work for them are usually not.
Of course there are exceptions.
The Southern Wire has reported on stories of bullying, harassment, racism, cohesion and fraud in local government – all allegations aimed at people in senior positions.
So if there’s anything to be learned from Local Government Week, let’s cut our frontline council workers some slack.
I can only draw a comparison to our healthcare workers.
Trying to achieve the impossible when decisions from above make the possible anything but.
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