However, council’s operational manager, Steve Taylor, said the decision to bolster the ranks was not part of a revenue-raising exercise.

Rather, he said it came off the back of a council report recommending the shire employ an additional ranger to better deliver services.

“At the moment ranger services are principally reactive,” Steve told the Courier-Sun.

“Workload is driven by customer demand and comprises of the most urgent matters – dog incidents, stock control and public safety issues. The review highlighted we need to increase, improve and deliver more efficient ranger services.”

Along with monitoring parking, the new ranger will tackle unauthorised camping, increase vehicle inspections on the beach, expand the number of litter and pollution checks, and address animal management and administration services.

Currently, council has one full-time ranger working with a casual ranger who shares weekend work, holiday leave and covers other leave-of absences.

Council’s ranger service review concluded the cost of employing a ranger at a casual rate “did not appear to provide the council with the most economic outcome … due to salary loading mandated for casual employees”.

The report also found the increase in employment costs for a second fulltime ranger would be offset “by an increase in revenue through additional enforcement to be undertaken at the recommended service levels”.

Last year the cost of shire ranger services was $98,395 (unaudited).

Steve said “the current employment arrangements do not appear to provide

council with the best economic outcome” and “council has identified good ranger services are a community priority”.

Part of expanding the ranger’s scope will be to better cover the shire – as anecdotally about 80 per cent of the ranger’s time is spent in the Bellingen area.

The ranger service review also revealed details about pet ownership in the shire.

At the Animal Holding Facility in North Bellingen, council impounds 80 to 100 animals annually, with up to six dogs and two cats impounded at any one time.

New guidelines for operation of animal holding facilities generally are imminent, and for Bellingen, this may mean looking at sharing pound services with Nambucca Shire Council.

By contrast, council coffers have swelled during the last financial year due to the drive to increase pet registration across the shire.

Locals’ strong support of the Companion Animal Register had taken the council “by surprise”, albeit pleasingly so, Steve said.