It’s a fine line, the balance between setting optimistic goals and targets and unknowingly laying the foundations for failure.
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The big thinkers, the entrepreneurs and the risk takers have always struggled knowing what’s achievable and what isn’t when it comes to aiming for the stars.
The fallout is generally extreme – a glorious achievement, or a disastrous failure.
The jury will be out on Leeton Shire Council’s 2017/18 Budget and four-year plan revealed this week.
But a first glimpse suggests this council pulls no punches when it comes to taking risks.
The Irrigator reported how this budget, and the four-year plan following, will rely on grants and external funds to deliver some projects.
Leeton Shire Council formally adopted its operational plan for the next financial year on Wednesday night and it featured a variety of projects set to put smiles on rate-payers’ faces.
The pool has long been a topic of discussion in Leeton, and this latest budget from council suggests the town’s concerns and calls for an upgrade are being heard.
But the reliance on grant funding to get the projects off the ground throws elements of doubt into the mix.
If external cash sources can’t be either found or convinced to fund Leeton’s long list of key projects, how many can we expect to see completed by 2021/22?
Just like with all companies, households and levels of government, everything comes at a price, and most priorities usually fall in line behind remaining in the black.
It could be argued a heavier focus on investment revenue could help make up the financial difference between promises and delivery.
However, the plan also mentions the investigation into revenue options for the future.
The financial plan handed down on Wednesday night appears to genuinely aim to appease ratepayers for the long term.
Numbers don’t take nobility into account though.
So let’s hope council’s optimistic Four-Year Draft Delivery Program can be matched by some equally as eager and well-compiled funding submissions - for the sake of LSC’s bottom line.
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What do you think? Send your letters to ben.jones@fairfaxmedia.com.au