Geoff Kendell
Normanville mixed farmer
I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, but [the council] have certainly been very slow and reluctant to make comment on where we are [with water] when it’s affected farming and commercial business in the Gannawarra shire so dramatically.
They’ve been slow, reluctant and ghost-like in the way they’ve handled the situation farmers are in.
I think they need to be a lot more proactive.
Shane Membrey
Publican, Mates Hotel,
Koondrook
It’s always been the same.
All shires are the same in my opinion.
There’s always the good and the bad.
Keith den Houting
Farmer and former
Gannawarra Shire mayor
I find it sad and distressing that the two councillors felt they had to resign.
They’re elected by their communities.
They obviously couldn’t get unity on the issues.
Some people are laughing, some are angry, some are disappointed but it’s not a good look.
Max Fehring
Cohuna dairy farmer
and former Gannawarra
shire mayor
It’s absolutely disappointing that the councillors find themselves in this situation and the community are not being given the respect we deserve.
They’ve allowed their personalities to get in the way of good governance and good council business.
They appear to be making decisions behind closed doors, and the chief executive officer should never direct what the council do.
It’s doing no-one any good, certainly not the profile of this small community.
Graeme Hayes
Real estate agent, Kerang
I think the average person in the street doesn’t really understand the situation, but I think all the councillors have been trying to do their best.
Until all the facts come out, no-one can make a decision.
Nadiene Konopka
co-owner, When I Was a Kid
Vintage, Cohuna
Being new to the area, I was quite interested in getting to know the local issues and supporting the local farming community as much as I could.
I got involved with Can the Plan and the Convoy to Canberra and had the opportunity to meet Sonia and ask her about some concerns I had about the Cohuna Aviation Club.
Unfortunately she told me she wasn’t able to talk to me about that.
I’ve found Sonia to be hard-working and genuine and present.
If she says there was bullying and exclusion at the council and that she wasn’t supplied with documentation I totally believe her.
I think if Sonia couldn’t handle it, you might be hard pressed to find new, strong women nominating for the council and putting themselves into the line of fire.
I’d like to see the council disbanded and started again from scratch.
Kelvin Burt
Kerang Progress
Association president
It’s a very sad loss to have Mark go like that.
He’s a brilliant councillor and it’s going to be a great loss for Kerang.
He’s probably the most active councillor Kerang’s ever had.
He’s been heavily involved with Show and Shine, New Year’s Eve and the Toy Run.
He’s hardly ever missed a Progress meeting.
He helps every community group out and he was supporting Cohuna people a lot as well.
It’s such a shame the problem can’t be solved and they can’t work together.
