Councillor David Lane has called for Lightning Ridge to split from Walgett Shire Council and possibly amalgamate with either Bourke or Brewarrina after it was revealed Walgett contributess about $260,000 towards council's budget and Lightning Ridge contributes around $450,000 (including mining rates).
Despite this, Lightning Ridge receives proportionately less in council funding.
The call comes following a public meeting called recently by Walgett Shire Council to discuss the amalgamation issue as raised by local government minister Tony Kelly.
At the public forum, many Ridge ratepayers voiced their concerns about perceived inequities of council's funding when it came to Lightning Ridge and Walgett.
One of the issues raised during the public forum was that for every $1 in revenue raised from Lighting Ridge ratepayers, $1 was put back into the town and yet for every $1 in revenue raised from Walgett, around $4 was put back into that town.
Walgett has well maintained parklands, footpaths, has undertaken a main street beautification program and its sporting grounds are covered in grass.
Lightning Ridge on the other hand has two very poor quality parkland areas, nine blocks of footpath, its street beautification program amounted to very little and a poorly maintained sporting ground.
According to Walgett Shire Council mayor Peter Waterford Walgett has more established infrastructure - council buildings, equipment, public facilities etc - than Lightning Ridge and these need to be maintained.
Additionally, as Cr Joan Treweeke said at the forum, for many years Lightning Ridge was not expected to survive as a town so it was not thought necessary to upgrade its town facilities.
Eventually it became evident that the Ridge was going to stay around.
But by that time large lump sums of money would have to be spent to meet the town's needs.
A look at council's figures shows:
o The swimming pools. In the 2002-2003 financial year, $210,000 was spent on the Walgett pool, $120,000 was spent on Lightning Ridge's pool.
o The bore baths. The Ridge was a rare winner in this one with $42,000 spent against $15,000 in Walgett.
o Street sweeping. $105,000 to Walgett, $6000 to Lightning Ridge.
o Footpath maintenance, street maintenance, street marking and street lightning. $134,000 for Walgett and $63,500 for the Ridge.
o Cemeteries. Walgett $25,000 and Lightning Ridge $3000.
During the 2002-2003 financial year the shire spent $1,135,000 or $314 per head of population in Walgett, $519,400 or $154 per head on Lightning Ridge, $395,160 or $429 per head in Collarenebri, $90,333 or $355 per head in Burren Junction and $86,206 or $164 per head in Carinda and Rowena.
According to the council, these disparities in spending are because Lightning Ridge has a lot less established infrastructure.
Shire councillor David Lane would be the first to dispute the validity of the council's stand on the matter.
"It's jump up and hit you in the face obvious that the Ridge is getting a raw deal. It's all there in the facts and figures, you don't have to be a mathematician to see it," Cr Lane said.
According to the shire's financial records Walgett supplies about $260,000 towards council's budget and Lightning Ridge supplies around $450,000.
Government funding supplies $5 million for roads and $5.3 million for general purpose.
The amount of funding the shire receives from the government is dependant on population size and financial status as well as the total length of the roads within the boundaries of the shire.
Councillors Joan Treweeke and David Lane both say that they are becoming increasingly frustrated with the whole situation.
"It's like I'm standing there beating my head against a brick wall." Cr Lane said.
Cr Treweeke believes Lightning Ridge's best hope lies in getting more local ratepayers voting to put more representatives from Lightning Ridge on the council.
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