AT THE last Murray River council meeting, questions were raised of the fairness of using ratepayer money to provide scholarships to private schools.
The Moama Anglican Grammar School has asked council for $3000 a year over the next four years to help students in financial hardship.
Councillor Thomas Weyrich objected to the four-year scholarship program, arguing there were other schools in the region who were not receiving any money and questioned the appropriateness of only providing financial-assistance to a private school.
“There are some very affluent people at that school and I just think we can do better with our money,” Cr Weyrich said.
Cr Nikki Cohen moved to change the funding agreement to ensure the scholarship was awarded to a student who was specifically affected by the drought.
“We need to make sure the money is actually going to those who need it,” she said.
Deputy mayor Alan Mathers argued a four-year commitment went too far into the future given council elections were coming up next year.
“We shouldn’t be making decisions that the next council will have to deal with,” he said.
The council resolved to fund the scholarship for one year only and to develop a policy regarding a needs-based scholarship that better represented the community.
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