Please sign my petition

I refer to The Border Times newspaper on July 1, which had the front-page story headlined ‘Southern Mallee council posting SA’s highest rate rise? 9.6% increase’.

I am a seriously concerned Southern Mallee district 75-year-old widowed lady who lives alone, as a struggling pensioner, landowner and rates payer, with regrettably no family of my own to support me.

After seeing the story, I immediately wrote a letter to the Southern Mallee District Council CEO Jason Beaton, expressing all of my many concerns, and asking why this was happening, especially given the atrocious state of our local roads.

I have watched struggling elderly people trying to navigate their way on walkers along bad nature strips and seriously potholed roads throughout Lameroo.

I presented Mr Beaton with proof by sending him several of the many photographs that I had taken, as some of them had been left in this sorry state for many years.

Then later on, before the council’s next meeting, I read the The Murray Valley Standard newspaper’s July 9 story, headlined ‘Fight for Funding’.

I also attended the council’s meeting about its draft annual business plan and budget, held on July 15 in Lameroo.

Now, I am even more aware about all the serious financial problems that the council is facing, having heard first hand, in more depth, from Mayor Ron Valentine.

More than 500 councils have gone to the trouble of signing an important joint letter, joining forces to urgently request more federal funding assistance.

This was at June’s National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) in Canberra.

I truly believe that now it’s up to us to ask ourselves what is the best way to support our local councils in their fight for more financial assistance from the government. Their hands may be tied, but ours are not.

Which is why, on July 17, 2026, I decided it was time for someone to act.
My first way of beginning to support my local council in their fight for more financial funding was to write a letter directly to the federal MP in Canberra.

Accordingly, out of respect and the proper way of doing things, I sent a signed copy of my letter to Mr Beaton.

So, how then can we – as community people – further help struggling pensioners, ratepayers, businesses and farmers?

The simple, easy way is by placing our names and signatures on a petition.

The power of the press is a mighty thing, but it needs to be further joined by local community people, from all walks of life, standing up in this way.

It has the capacity to move mountains.

So, as a very concerned person, I have placed signature petitions all over the Southern Mallee District.

In Lameroo they’re at the chemist and post office. They’re at the Pinnaroo post office and in Parrakie. I’m also sending one through to Wilkawatt and Geranium.
And they are available at Tipsy Donkey (Parilla Hotel) too.

In expressing my thoughts, I take nothing away from our wonderful, supportive local MPs, who all do such a wonderful job of supporting their local communities.

I know this having once, long ago, had the privilege of knowing for 20 years the late, great Peter Lewis MP, who served as the Member for Hammond for 28 years.

I am proud to have known him and supported him faithfully throughout that time.
Once, in 1992 in my former married name of Annette Merle Ramsay (being both the founder and proprietor of my business, Integrity Promotions Entertainment & Co-ordination SA Booking Agency), I served, alongside other like-minded industry personnel, leading artists and songwriters and bands throughout SA on the inaugural steering committee of South Australian Country Music Council. This was formed for the pursuit of excellence in the South Australia country music industry.

Mr Lewis was chairman. We were the first in Australia to lead the way, and now I believe every state throughout Australia has such a council.

I would like to end by saying thank you to former Member for Hammond, Adrian Pederick.

Thank you for all the support you gave to everyone in all the many different variety of things you involved yourself in.

You are sadly missed by all of us who knew and highly respected you – yet perhaps most of all by me, as you were always such a wonderful and supportive friend.
ANNETTE BANNIGAN
Lameroo