With the excellent hard work of the Toodyay Progress Association – especially former chair Larry Graham – and The Toodyay Herald, we already had an insight into the dysfunction at the shire long before the State acted, and then to be totally let down by the report.

There are councillors still on council who were part of the reason the shire was dysfunctional.

They still don’t appear to want to step aside or take responsibility for the actions that have found us in this perilous situation.

For them to go against advice in taking legal action against former shire CEO Graham Merrick at enormous ratepayer expense is inexcusable.

Why didn’t they take action against whoever in shire administration overpaid Mr Merrick $150,000 when he left?

That overpayment and the ripple effect of ongoing legal bills has now crippled ratepayers and residents for years into the future and our children and grandchildren will be left to pay for something they had no part of.

Finally, last month’s Page 3 picture in The Herald of the former shire CEO and former shire president Brian Rayner says it all – Hear No Evil, See No Evil.

I ask if Old Blind Joe’s critics would treat their customers the same way as the drop kicks in Canberra are treating our country’s most important trading partner?

Can anyone assume it will all end well because the US will come to our rescue?
“Die Gedanken Sind Frei”(Thoughts Are Free) is a German song about freedom of thought – the writer and composer are unknown but the most popular version was published by Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1842.

I read Old Blind Joe every month and will keep doing so with interest and awe as I find it very informative and witty to boot.

As a result of the investigations by the TPA, the Department of Local Government Sport and Culture acted, and an investigation was launched into the shire.

The investigation took some time and I believe council was told nothing would come of it.

Last month, the inquiry was tabled, in parliament.

The report findings showed there was just cause for concern in the lack of accountability and transparency in the administration, that decisions were made contrary to the Local Government Act and there was a lack in councillors understanding their role and that of council.

The report findings were extensive and included:

• More than half a million dollars spent on pursuing legal matters in court, much of which the report found questionable,
• Councillors failing in their role to oversee ratepayers’ funds,
• The inappropriate treatment by the CEO of a councillor and,
• The awarding of contracts contrary to WA local government law.

In reading the report there appeared a culture in council to accept information provided by the previous CEO, and in several situations the council failed to question the validity of the information supplied or question financial payments.

I believe it was important for the community to know how and what decisions were being made by council and the effect these decisions had on the financial viability of the shire.

The TPA investigation revealed questionable practices and The Herald informed the community.

However, some in the community disapproved of The Herald’s reporting.

It was claimed articles were untruthful, defamatory, and unjustifiably condemning and targeting of the then councillors and previous CEO.

Surprisingly, there were no legal challenges but the comments of unjust, untruthful, biased reporting by The Herald, relentlessly persisted.

There was also condemnation of the TPA’s constant questioning of council.

It was disappointing that it took an inquiry to reveal the inappropriate practices by the previous CEO and the inability of the previous council to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency as listed in the shire’s Community Strategic Plan.

I have been told that on social media councillors, who are still on council and were a part of the investigation, are being asked to resign.

These councillors are in control of their moral conscience indicator – it is their choice.

Either way, the community will have their chance to decide at the next election if they remain and decide to re-stand.

The Toodyay community was extremely fortunate to have had the TPA and The Herald to expose what was happening in the council and the administration.

It was disappointing that sections of the community did not support them and that they were criticised for their perspective and persistence.

The inquiry vindicated the actions of both The Herald and the TPA.

I congratulate the TPA for its persistence and resistance to calls to stop their actions and I also congratulate The Herald in publishing an accurate account of the issues.

Hopefully, the present council and administration will work to bring about change in a culture that led to the inappropriate practices as reported in the inquiry.

The same quantity of polony in Toodyay would have cost $13.98.
My 50km return trip to Northam for a fuel cost of, say, $5 means I still saved $5.50 on the Aldi purchase.
I am so grateful that we have the convenience of an IGA store in Toodyay but it has become increasingly expensive to buy locally.
The $200 to $250 I would spend in Toodyay would have cost me no more than $105 to $120 in Northam.
I understand that the Toodyay store has overhead costs but you can see the effect the price of a 500g log of polony can have on the ‘buy local and keep a local in business’ philosophy.
When you seek a more attractive price elsewhere, you might also look for savings on other items, thus effectively hurting Toodyay businesses.

How many people came and recognised this display? There were so many and of course Facebook went ‘off the radar’ so to speak.

Friends who had succumbed to this disease wanted to share that they were overwhelmed with the response by the local op shop wanting to be involved.

To the volunteers who gave up their time to share their concerns and compassion, and the ladies who brought so much joy to the visitors who enjoyed the display and bought their friends to enjoy it, you gave hope to some of those who were in a part of their life they did not wish to be and wanted to share that they loved what Toodyay was doing.

If we can save one person from breast cancer we can say “we have achieved”.