Noise, Dust and Litter

I read in this morning's Sunday Mail and interesting item on a proposed shift in management of infringements of dust, noise and litter. It seems the state government is once again trying to shift their responsibility for these matters to local government. And, as usual, without offering any monetary contribution to Council coffers to offset the increased costs. Their answer would be for Council to recover costs with fines and or a rate levee. It is probably true that many members of the community already think these matters are  a Council responsibility when they are mot. As a Councillor I get many inquiries from people about noisy air conditioners, barking dogs, hooning cars and litter. I am always happy to discuss these concerns with people but ultimately can do little to help other than refer them to the Environmental Protection Agency or other relevant authorities. I'm sure Council would be in a better place to catch people dropping cigarette butt and bust tickets (something the current government has legislated for but rarely polices). It may also be better placed to manage noise issues and our Council already has in place a successful process to manage illegally dumped hard rubbish.  The question is who pays?
For years we have pleaded with state government for Council to be able to issue speeding and minor traffic infringement matters. The answer is always a resounding no. Why, because this one does raise revenue.