Council this week released the results of its independent survey on the SRV and it also revealed 38 per cent opposed the proposal, with 22 per cent of respondents unsure.

Council's community consultation process involved a pop-up shopfront in Manning Street, Taree which serviced about 500 people and an online survey via council's website.

Only 497 people completed the online survey on council's website, representing 1.988 per cent of the 25,000 ratepayers in the Greater Taree local government area.

Council's general manager Ron Posselt said council was "very pleased with the penetration of our media campaign via TV, radio, social and printed media".

However, mayor Paul Hogan expressed his concern at the low public response to council's campaign to consult.

"It has been the biggest public communication event since I have been there, the only thing that comes close to it is when we did the 30 year plan," Cr Hogan said.

"I did question the amount of people included in the telephone survey and learned that it is the standard taken by every agency in Australia.

"I attended the shopfront on several days and heard the overwhelming view that we have a problem with our roads and something needs to be done.

"We wanted to talk to the community about it and I don't think they (council staff) could have done it any better."

Cr Hogan said he does "not know how the break the cycle of negativity that exists in the community about council".

"Not all of our community know what happens in council and that is the unfortunate part; seeing the amount of staff work involved, it has been huge.

"I think people just disengage, that's a good word to use, because the negative side of council is a good talking point for a great part of the community all the time - there is always that negativity.

"I hear that all the time and really, I just don't know how to break that cycle. I don't know the answer."

MANNING River Times readers responded to the November 4 article, 'Low public response to SRV survey' on Facebook. The article revealed that less than two per cent of Greater Taree City Council ratepayers completed the online survey on council's proposal to introduce a Special Rate Variation (SRV) to boost spending on road infrastructure in the Greater Taree.

We asked readers if they had their say in the survey - here is an edited selection of posted comments:

o Darrell Croker: I did the online survey and I personally feel there was not enough advertising to make people aware of its existence.

o Greg Newell: The site wasn't working when I tried but what else would you expect from them.

o Shelly Cause: Not all the elderly ratepayers have internet let alone a computer.

o Matty Lansdowne: Homeowners don't want to pay for this. Landlords will increase rent to cover this. And potentially businesses increase prices to recover their own rent increases so everybody is affected. Only sharing this as I feel everyone deserves to know and have the chance to discuss it and hopefully we can have five out of nine listen to us and perhaps secure more state funding to fix the roads.

o Bettie Merchant Hollis: There are still a lot of ratepayers out there with no access to online surveys. With the repairs needed in recently completed sections of the roads maybe it's not a rate increase needed but to hire someone that knows what they are doing as who is there now isn't really doing a great job.

o Shane Cudlin: In typical fashion the online survey failed in my two attempts to use it so I gave up ... the infrastructure in this area is worse than many so called third world countries I have visited. No, I don't want to pay any more in rates until I see the rates I'm already paying spent and managed better.

o Deborah Donald: Because it's nonsense and not addressing relevant issues, such as giving the community some assurances about how rates are spent? And what is different about this increase? I don't have money to keep throwing good after bad! And therefore I don't agree with the increase, though I'm not a land owner I contribute to rates via rents and any increase has a flow-on effect of pushing cost of living up. I and anyone I know doesn't want this increase and people feel the Greater Taree City Council process of consultation is patronising, 'lip service' at best! Maybe you should address the lack of confidence in the community for council first and then your response rate may be improved.

o Narelle Smith: Wasn't aware it was online but did get a phone call and did it that way.

o Anne Marie: Well this is the first time I've seen it ...a lot of ratepayers don't have access to the internet, there wasn't anything put in our mailboxes so of course there's going to be a low rate.

PENSIONERS will receive a discount on the proposed Special Rate Variation (SRV) increase to rates under Greater Taree City Council's revised proposal.

This is just one of the proposed changes to council's original SRV plan that it recently put to the Manning Valley community for consultation; councillors will discuss the SRV and council's proposed revisions at tonight's meeting of council in Taree.

General manager Ron Posselt said community feedback was used in refining council's SRV proposal and described it as "more affordable".

"We have listened to the community and we understand there is a desire to have the roads improved but the burden on local ratepayers, especially pensioners is significant," Mr Posselt said.

"The refined proposal recommends a 42 per cent increase in rates over six years, being 6.9 per cent increase in total (inclusive of any rate peg) each year for the six years. This is down from the 8.4 per cent originally proposed.

"In addition the proposal includes a 35 per cent discount on this increase for eligible pensioners by increasing the pensioner rebate by this amount each year."

Mr Posselt acknowledged the refined proposal would leave a funding gap that council would look to plug by driving down the costs of council operations.

"While the refined proposal leaves a gap in funding required to deliver safer roads across the community, council will continue to drive costs down through efficiencies across our operations," he explained.

ainslee.dennis@fairfaxmedia.com.au