Well I think I've found another way for the council to save a few hundred thousand and past the savings on back to the rate payers.

If you look at the Mount Isa City's Councils Annual Report for 2017/18 you will notice under Note 31. Transactions with Other Related Parties, SKLT Professional Services has been disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer as a related party entity and provides consultancy to Council.

The Mount Isa City Council's CEO's husband's company, SKLT Professional Service was paid $407,000 for the 2017/18 financial year for consultancy work.

This related party entity has been consulting to MICC for a number of years now and is currently the MICC Project Manager for the Isa Street Bridge Upgrade.

On the 3rd October last year, MICC posted on their Facebook page that they were doing a $6.5M upgrade to the Isa Street Bridge.

A week later, ABC North West did a story with the SKLT Professional Services, Tyr Ibardolaza and he quoted the Isa Street Bridge Upgrade as a $7.5M upgrade, this is an increase in $1,000,000 in a week.

I did point this out to the MICC on their Facebook story, but to no reply.

If you read Sharon Ibardolaza's letter to the editor to the Star on March 14, no reply apparently means 'refused'.

While MICC is asking some residents and businesses to pay thousands of dollars more in rates and water, our own council is paying a consultant $407,000 for one years consultancy.

This Engineer would be the highest paid mechanical engineer in Mount Isa and that's saying something with the mine across the road.

Mechanical and civil don't cross over at all, it's like using an accountant to do civil work.

In fact I'm really surprised there any work for a mechanical engineer at any council.

This could be a great opportunity to save some money, instead of using a consultant for all these years, employ a full time engineer and give the $250,000 odd savings back to the rate payers.

I do understand this city is small enough for family members to end up working at the same company.

Mount Isa depends on the MICC CEO to be absolutely impartial when dealing with complaints against council, councillors and our Mayor.

The MICC Annual Report 17/18 indicates that the CEO's entire family income of over $600,000 is completely dependent on Mount Isa City Council.

$407,000 is a ridiculous amount of money to pay SKLT Professional Services, one person, for a years work.

I really hope there is a sensible explanation for this spend.

Danielle Slade

Mount Isa

NAB was born in the bush 160 years ago and regional Australia is as important to our future as it has been to our past.

As a bank we acknowledge some things we have heard and seen in recent years have contributed to a breakdown in trust.

Our CEO  Philip Chronican has announced we will keep open all NAB branches in regional and rural Australia until at least January 2021. This extends on our existing commitment of no branch closures in drought-affected areas to all regional and rural communities across Australia.

While two branches will be proposed for closure in coming weeks, other NAB branches are located in the same regional cities and significant investment will be made in upgrading services in those cities. If, following consultation with local teams, the proposals to close go ahead in these locations, all employees will remain in a role with NAB.

​ Krissie Jones

NAB Executive General Manger, Retail