Fools Gold / Development at any cost mentality reigns supreme in the Shoalhaven

sorry bout the fast and dirty adaptation of the Frederick County road sign :)
 

Shoalhaven Open for Business-

The question is when was it ever closed!!!!!

The Liberals are taking their tired old mantra to new heights encouraged all the way by the old master Greg Watson.

Seriously who believes that the Shoalhaven has been closed-the old dominating Watson regime was in power for many years and had a develop at any cost mantra and this 'new Gash Council' is no different.

Clr Patricia White is chairing the special development meetings that are considering the latest round of submissions on the Local Environment Plan.

White wanted to hold the meetings in a super meeting over one weekend a sure recipe for disaster as fatigue and forgetfulness would fuel poor decision making and a very poor way to encourage community participation.

Mind you watching the dynamics of the chamber and the reliance on Watson's advice is sickening and perhaps fatigue would have produced better outcomes.

It has even been reported to me that in a desperate bid to make sure the Gashites didn't change the very scant and poor aims and objectives of the plan they invoked the Findley / Greens characterisation argument.

That's the argument were Watson and Guile make out that it is Findley's / The Greens fault that not much has happened in the city for years. HELLO when have the Greens actually been in 'power' in the Shoalhaven?

Millions of dollars of projects have been approved over the last 10 years and many of them languish not because the Greens caused it, but I would argue that the proposals were far to intense and simply not palatable in a low key area like the Shoalhaven-its a supply and demand type of issue.

So when previous develop at any cost Councils approved proposals that are outside development controls- push height limits too far and building set backs into impact zones they encourage a 'fools gold' mentality and people should shoulder some responsibility for their decisions.

The argument the Conservatives throw back is - well the developer knows best- what's viable / what's not. Sure they know what's best for their business but if the governing body actually had a vision other than the develop at any cost one- then development expectations would be more in line with the expected market and the existing community- people don't live here because they want it to be like Shellharbour! The Shoalhaven has many different characteristic's and that's why planning to suit them is so important.

Meanwhile back at the meetings Councillors are making poor decisions despite best efforts to try and explain why they shouldn't. I accept that there is more than one way to make decisions, but I also maintain that we have a community of people who care about the city they live in and Council should do its utmost to include them in every step of the planning process. NOT present unwieldy business papers and carry out poor consultation procedures.

I advised Clr White that this process is poor prior to them adopting it- seems it fell on deaf ears. Clr White has run for Council a couple of times before and she spent no time in the chamber during the last Planning phase to see what worked- yet her infinite wisdom didn't support what was a much better process last time around.

It's not over yet so I will keep you posted.

Flood Policy- what policy?

Council's across Australia have policies to guide us mere mortals when it comes to building or buying homes.

Policies to make sure that we dont haplessly build our new home on a flood plain- or at least build it high enough out if the water when the next flood comes that we or our possesions dont get washed away and become more of a hazard for emergency services.

Sounds logical and protectionist- and after the Queensland flash flooding that took the lives of some, you would think that people would be more inclined to follow the rules that Government bring in.

NOT in SHOALHAVEN LAND: all you have to do here is hire a consultant ( I call them The Fixits), make a presentation to Council advisinfg that Councils well educated and professional staff are wrong, maybe make a few phone calls to Councillors to stake your claim and hey presto- the magic wand of elected Councillors waves a big tick over your application and policy be dammed.

This was the scenario at a recent Council meeting were an applicant sought to subdivide a block and build a house in the Moona Moona Creek catchment. The current flood guide advisies that flood waters will reach 700mm and if Council follows the guidelines put out by the State Government this should be revised to 1.5meters.

Some areas of flood prone land can be developed with the floor level designed to be above the maximum flood level- but in this case Councillors ignored the expected flood levels to allow the dwelling and subdivsion to go ahead at the current level.

This might suit the current owners but as time goes on and owners change and climate change consequences start to unravel the occupants of this soon to be constructed house will be asking the same questions as those involved in the Queensland Flood Enquiry- why on earth did the planning authority allow this house to be built here!

The elected Council led on this occasion by Councillors Andrew Guile and Greg Watson, continue to make decsions against the flood plain planning guidelines a legacy of poor planning will be felt all across the City.

Its one thing to apply Liberal policy and be the friend of all- but its another altogether to mess with the lives of emergency service workers often volunteers, by planning so badly that everyone is at risk.