OFTEN the most effective ways to get results are those seldom known nor discussed, as it would seem with the MidCoast Council’s ‘Report An Issue’ website function.

At several recent community meetings, including the Hawks Nest Tea Gardens Progress Association meeting in April, and the Council’s Community Conversations in Hawks Nest on 6 June, local residents declaring various grievances appeared unaware of the existence of ‘Report An Issue’.

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The form is as straightforward as one could hope for, asking initially for one’s name and basic contact details.

‘Radio buttons’ exist for issues including nuisance animals, tree problems, road/bridge issues or damage, rubbish/waste issues, pollution (noise, air, water), graffiti, and general or ‘other’ services.

Perhaps if the site is inundated with ‘issues’ regarding the state of Council roads such as the Myall Way, or the archaic state of the Singing Bridge, something productive may result.

There exist no options specific to beach or river issues, presumably because they are lumped under ‘Other’ concerns.

Be prepared to fill in details, as exacting as possible, in at least two entry fields, and there is an upload box for images, allowing a maximum of 20 files, each no larger than 10MB.

Issues submitted via this form site will only be dealt with during Council’s regular opening hours, being Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30pm, however residents can still submit the form at any time, with Council’s wording promising to deal with it “at the earliest opportunity”.

Council advises clearly that, “If your request is an urgent safety issue, DO NOT USE THIS FORM – please call us on 02 7955 7777”.

Residents and ratepayers should also be aware that there are specific forms, hotlines, and/or procedures for issues surrounding barking dogs, illegal dumping, graffiti or urgent water issues, the links and numbers for which are also featured on the ‘Report An Issue’ site at https://www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/Contact-us/Report-an-issue.

By Thomas O’KEEFE