Structure Planning, petitions etc
Sue Brooks April 10th, 2010
Last night Graham and I enjoyed the opening of two new exhibitions at the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery. I am continually amazed at the depth of talent that we have here within our very own community and I recommend that you all pop in and view the exhibitions and in particular the works by local artist Mr Ben Gerdsen. http://www.herveybayregionalgallery.org.au/26/Current+Exhibitions/191/Beyond+Decorative
After leaving the Gallery we decided to grab a bite to eat at Thai Diamond at Scarness. It was approx 8.30pm and we were sad to note that many of the restaurants we drove past were all but empty. Retail sellers also are telling us that times are tougher than last year. Our own business has not had as ‘good’ an Easter as we have experienced in past years. I haven’t noticed as many interstate licence plates on cars on our roads either and note that accomodation establishments are reporting that times are tough with higher than desired vacancy rates.
So I ask that if you can possibly afford it please do patronise our local small businesses. While small businesses can tighten the proverbial belt they still have to pay staff, rents and ongoing overheads etc and it is very sad to see businesses fail. By just going out for a meal now and then and spending our hard earned dollars locally we can do our bit to help these businesses survive so that our community continues to thrive and prosper.
So to Council -
STRUCTURE PLANNING
This Monday evening there is a community meeting scheduled to inform interested residents about the Structure Planning process that is being undertaken for land between Dundowran and Eli Waters as well as land at Doolong Flats and Ghost Hill. This planning process is to decide where we want our major connector roads and drains etc to be located when this land is developed. I am very pleased that Council is committed to this process as forward planning our development should mean much better road connectivity and drainage and other service provision than has occurred in some areas in the past. The public meeting is at The Hervey Bay Hotel, 249 Esplanade, Pialba at 6pm. Council has a new web site and more information can be found there rather than me copying it all here. If you visit the web site and click on the Latest News link you should find the detailed information. http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au
Council can now be followed on twitter and I encourage those that don’t want to tweet to sign up for the electronic newsletter. There is much information about Council and many opportunities for community participation so do visit the new web site and have a look around.
Lastly I thought I might take a swing at the petition doing the rounds. I am all for public discussion and public communication but please ‘think before you sign’ may be a worthy motto. The petition currently doing the rounds is calling for Council and the CEO and the administration to be sacked! Now if the petition included evidence and grounds to support the call for a mass sacking I would take it seriously but it doesn’t. I understand people are dissatisfied with Council as I hear the constant pleas for Council to fix everything today and to somehow do this while not putting up rates and fees and charges.
In other words I’m a tiny bit cranky. Council has faced enormous challenge to make the best of a change the majority of us didn’t want. Council is not perfect and we don’t get everything right all of the time but from where I sit things are constantly improving. Customer service has improved, financial management is excellent and I believe the leadership of staff under our CEO is aligned with Councillors expectations and we are delivering a good standard of service to our community.
I hear moans that we are losing development. Well from reading widely I find that this is the case nation wide and we are in fact better off than many other cities and towns. I definitely won’t be voting to support development that is not of good quality and in line with Planning Scheme requirements as I don’t want cheap low quality inappropriate development within this region. While I support a period of discounting of infrastructure charges to provide a buffer in this tough economic climate, Council cannot comtinue to subsidise development unless we raise rates. At the end of the day someone has to pay for our roads, our rubbish collection and disposal, our drains and our bridges and everything else that the community demands and desires.
I hear calls now in the local paper for more events. Council spends hundreds of thousands of dollars currently on events and tourism related activities and if we are expected to spend more then I ask that someone looks closely at our budget and explains to me where we can take the money from. This is but one example of requests made to Council and I shudder when I think of all the road and footpath works we need to do and the simple lack of funds to dedicate to these works. The State Government has reduced funding which exacerbates our problems.
So Mr Primavera if you want the Council ‘sacked’ can you provide me with some solid evidence that Council is broken and beyond repair please?
- Council related issues , General News
- Comments(8)
Some may be moaning that we are ‘losing development’ . Others , the writer included, believe that there is too much of it. When the present shop keepers are doing it tough do we need extensions to shopping centres ? With large numbers of hard to sell apartments like Peppers do we need more beach front luxury high rise ? . Especially if as ratepayers we have to fund the infra structure for it because the developer will not.
Somehow maybe because the word ‘improvements’ is used, we think that new this, new that, and more and more of it has to be ‘ better’ .
Well it is my opinion that the council’s prime responsibility is to look after the requirements of existing ratepayers, existing shopkeepers, existing landlords, not to be trying to attract more of them.
Road maintenance, keeping up the excellent gardens, street cleaning, maintenance of existing sewerage and water, and yes, all without increasing the rates more than is absolutely unavoidable. One only has to look at the over ‘improved’ Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast to see why people would rather live here. Not for glitz, not for tourist attractions, night clubs, schoolies, drugs, and violence but for old fashioned peace and quiet. Many old fashioned attitudes are better as those of us over sixty can well remember.
Regarding the petition, I think it is interesting to note that Cam Pimavera stood for council but didnt get many votes – if he has something positive to say I am all ears. His message seems to be ‘sack em’
I agree with Colin – development for the sake of assisting the development industry is lunacy.
The commercial real estate agents I speak to tell me that there is plenty of available retail space around town.
Council has done a number of reports over the past couple of ears- I suggest undertaking a study on how to grow the economy without relying on the development industry.
You ponder Sue as to Council’s unpopularity with many ratepayers.
One of the reasons which you omit, is the lack of openness and transparency with ratepayers in many Council matters.
It would appear that if there is likely to be anything contentious it is handled behind closed doors and the outcome is announced by way of a bland Council news release, with very little background information.
Some time ago now Councillor McNeven ran a communications survey which asked about attitudes to Council’s release of news etc. She promised that results of the survey would be made public, and that communication would be improved.
We are still waiting for that surveys result. Obviously it was not favourable or we would have all been told about it.
If Council was more open and communicated better, a lot of the mistrust which currently exists in the region might be minimised.
fraserwatch
Thanks Fraserwatch for your interest. Firstly can you give some examples of contentious issues handled behind closed doors? I try very hard to ensure that contentious issues are dealt with publicly so am interested in what examples of decisions we should be making more public. The only background information that can be readily obtained about Council decisions is gleaned from agenda’s and minutes of meetings. Minutes don’t include Councillor comments generally speaking so if you are not attending the Council meetings it is difficult to be aware of individual comments and questions etc.
I try to ensure that content from my portfolio is made public and recently presented a report on portfolio doings to Council.
The communication survey was dealt with via the relevant portfolio with the results being used to influence the way in which Council communicates (type of media etc) not the actual content of the communication.
I believe Council is improving its communication as seen by newspaper columns, enews, twitter and media releases etc. If you could hone in on some examples I will do my best to address your concerns. Cheers, Sue
G’day Sue,
On thinking about your latest post, I decided to lmit my comment/s to just one.
“While I support a period of discounting of infrastructure charges’ to assist I assume, the dvelopment industry?
Can I request council “support(s) a period of discounting” for ordinary ratepayers. You know, the people in the street, your every day average person.
Sadly know one on council seems to care about Mr & Mrs Average!!
Sadman
Sue, a quick comment first.
When the communication survey was conducted it was stated by Council that survey results would be released. This did not happen. Council may have altered the methods and avenues of communication but the content remains the same old bland “feel good” stuff. I assume that Council must have changed its mind about public release after it saw the survey results.
You ask for examples of what the public is not told. Let’s try three recent items, the extensions to Centro, infrastructure charges, and the Maryborough swimming pool.
During each of these proceedings,the public would have known little if anything about what was occuring, if the Chronicle had not made some facts public. It is an unfortunate state of affairs when it is necessary for a newspaper to disclose to the ratepayers what is happening in their region to stir our Council to some urgent action and public comment.
Council have a responsibility to its ratepayers to keep them fully informed as to relevant happenings, and not decide when and if they should be updated on major matters.
I repeat, it is deplorable when it is necessary for the media to intervene to focus public attention on matters which are quite major ones on the Fraser Coast.
fraserwatch
I think the real problem isn’t just the lack of development getting approval – from what I’ve read its the fact that the council keeps people applying for developments waiting and waiting and waiting, wasting time and money, all while charging fees, and then say no. Maybe the council could be a bit fairer and keep in mind that people may like to go somewhere else to pitch their venture? No wonder these people are angry.
Outraged. Please take a look at the stats. Council has to stick to legislated time frames in dealing with development applications and with the new SPA legislation the provision is that if Council does not deal with an application within a certain time the application is deemed to be approved! Please do read more widely than just the local paper. Don’t forget that the local papers make a huge amount of their income via property related advertising. Also our current Planning Schemes are so vague at times and don’t contain prohibited uses so anyone can apply to do anything anywhere relatively speaking. This is not a Council choice but a State Government decision. I do agree however that if the answer for a development application is going to be a ‘no’ the quicker we get to that point the better.