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.

Mayor hijaks Ulladulla Forum meeting

Image taken from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoK_4eC7eveq1F9hgfkUrK44Gnq0tmEp6KFvQST97s1Fp_Cg4nGM1gPZsJPXWg1rCY3jaflCXlb6bSST2AIAHPo6dsUhYJXTjkAZXioDqW4phs0IqfY91dTmR1YjuExWZ0LKGsXHMj3FA/s1600/poor_me_soup-180w.jpg
 

Ulladulla Community Forum meets once a month to discuss issues that affect the local community.

The issues are  diverse but are often related to issue to do with Shoalhaven City Council. The forum are a recognised Community Consultative Body (CCB) and have a direct line of contact to Council. The members of the forum are volunteers with a great interest in community life.

The forum have done excellent work on community consultation and Monday's meeting (8/4/2013) was meant to be partly in celebration of Youth Week by inviting the local youngsters to come and have their say.

The meeting had around 40 youngsters turn up skaters and scouts all interested in getting across their message on improved skate facilities. the young people were very articulate and asked some great questions and put forward some fab suggestions on how to improve skating.

The youth were promised a fun supper at the conclusion of the meeting- unfortunately those who stayed witnessed the Mayor chuck a tantrum.

Clrs Patricia White and Clr Jo Gash have both been subject to Code of Conduct complaints ( see Council business papers for details Page 23 item 67). Both addressed the forum on this issue explaining the outcome.

Gash decided to take it one step further and told the meeting how hurt she was, how stressful the experience was and how it cost Council $6000 to review her conduct. She went on to say that she had always done her best by the Ulladulla community and was gutted that they could do such a thing to her.

Gash blamed the forum for putting in the code of conduct complaint and also blamed them for not picking up the phone and telling her what 'their problem was'.

Gash's delivery was intimidatory and at times hysterical - some of the skaters mums left the meeting as they felt so uncomfortable- it was the first time they had been to a forum meeting and they wont be back as they might think its the norm for the Mayor to turn up and abuse volunteer citizens who actually have a right to question process the Mayor instigates.

I might add that the forum did not make the complaint- for such a process to happen there would have to be mention in the forums meeting minutes which go to council and agreement from the collected community- who are so a-political I doubt they would have agreed to such an action.

The Mayors poor me /victim show was damaging to the forum in so many ways. It was embarrassing that a public leader turned up and berated a community group for something they just didn't do. The manner in which she attributed the blame was intimidatory and very defensive. Any good work that was done by the forum in the hour before will be forever overshadowed by the Mayors performance- I hope some remember the positive interactions with the youth of our community. And any prospects of recruiting new members were blown apart by the Mayors abuse. I took my children and they were embarrassed by the anger and vitriol displayed. The Mayor requested that the Forum call her about problems yet she was accusing them in public just as she had been publicly accused via the code of conduct review- tit for tat it seems.

No wonder politics in Australia is viewed as totally dysfunctional when civic leaders think its OK to publicly accuse and berate volunteers for exercising their rights to query the conduct of civic leaders.

Poor form Mrs Gash- but it seems your poor me / victim routine is making a regular appearance.

AMENDMENT: I have been asked to note that when the Mayor chucked her tantrum the number of young people in the room was not the full 40 from earlier a handful- around 6.

Code of Conduct costs

The Cost of code of conduct complaints are in-
Councillor Whites complaint $3349.60
Mayor Gash 1st complaint -not yet billed,
Mayor Gash 2nd Complaint $2541.00

The budget for dealing with complaints was $10,079 plus $5000 from the previous year as at 31 March the amount that was spent from this budget was $1993.00

Novembers Notices of Motion

Novembers notices of motion

Conjola Boardwalk 
That the boardwalk project at Lake Conjola be replaced on a like for like basis I.e. it be replaced with an elevated accessible boardwalk that protects vegetation and provides easy access to the beach.
Background

The Lake Conjola beach boardwalk is falling apart and needs replacement. There has been a suggestion that this be done 'at grade' the community are outraged at this prospect and request that it be replaced like for like. The community needs to be consulted on any changes and appropriate funding should be sought from current budgets and infrastructure grants.

Signed

Clr Findley

Supported by all Councillors after a minor amendment from Clr White.


61. Skateboard Facility – Yulunga Reserve, Manyana File 2069E

 A report be brought to Council addressing the development of a small skateboard facility at Yulunga Reserve Manyana.
Background

Manyana, Bendalong, Cunjarong Point are a cluster of small villages that are quite a distance from any of Councils skateboarding facilities. The Yulunga reserve is a focal point for the community with the community centre, playground, tennis court and sport field and the addition of a small skate facility would be a great addition for the young permanent population. This motion seeks a report on the feasibility of such a facility and the costs associated.

Signed

Clr Findley
Supported by all Councillors


62. Future Park / Aquaculture Recreational Research Centre Ulladulla File


Council convene a briefing on the Future Park / Aquaculture Recreational Research Centre Ulladulla with the various stakeholders i.e. The local committee, economic development officer, Shoal Water, Councils development staff, Fisheries NSW and Regional development representative. The briefing is to update Councillors on the project, with a view to reaffirming Councils support for the project and subsequently to extend the deadline for investigation and discuss remediation of the site with Shoal Water.

Background

This project has been gaining momentum and is widely supported across the community, however some 'Catch 22's" exist before the project can move forward. At a recent committee meeting it was put forward that the current Council be brought up to date and some discussion take place on 'were to from here'. The time frame for exploring the concept expires in 2013 and for continuity an extension needs to be sought.

Signed

Clr Findley

I was unable to vote on this motion as I took on the role of Public Officer for this not for profit community group. However it was supported by the majority of Council.


63. Development Control Plan Reform File
Index


That Council

1. Recognises the importance of Council's Development Control Plans which are the fine-grained planning regulations that set out important planning controls to protect the amenity and character of local areas.

2. Notes with genuine concern that the Government's proposed Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Bill 2012 will make a number of changes which will greatly reduce the capacity of DCPs to protect local amenity and character including:

(a) Proposed changes will prevent councils from considering the cumulative impact of developments.

(b) Proposed changes so that maximum entitlements under DCPs such as the height and size of buildings will become "as of right entitlements" rather than the maximum allowable.

(c) Providing developers with a "get out of jail free card" if they don't want to comply with DCPs if the DCP is thought to "unreasonably restrict development";


3. Notes that this proposed change comes in the middle of a State-wide review of planning in NSW and pre-empts the outcome of this process.

4. Expresses its concern that these proposed laws are in breach of this government's "Contract with NSW" where the current Premier promised that his government would 'return planning powers to the community' and 'give communities a say again in the shape of their community'.

5. Calls on the Government to not proceed with those aspects of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Bill 2012 that limit and restrict Development Control Plans.

6. Asks the Mayor to write to the Minister for Planning, local state representatives and planning spokespeople for the Labor Party, the Greens, The Shooters and Fishers Party and the Christian Democrats seeking their support to prevent these aspects of the Bill becoming law.

Signed

Clr Findley
This motion was substantially changed by Councillor Guile and then failed to get the support fo Council. I was surprised in the seeming lack of engagement of other Councillors on state issues that ultimately have a huge impact upon our communities.

Eventually though a  report was brought to Development Committee rather than the breifing that Clr Guile insisted on in his amendments and Council did end up supporting that a letter be sent to the NSW State Governement expressing our concerns over the lack of consultation in regards to the changes to development control plans.

Arrogance, Ego, Fear and Loathing-make Berry Mga Mansion decision worse

 

Check out how this issue was previously reported in the South Coast Register

Arrogance, Ego, Fear and Loathing-make Berry Mega Mansion decision worse

Berry residents were stunned at Shoalhaven City Councils Tuesday night development committee that gave the green light to a mega mansion for Borrowdale Close.

In a debate that was often heated and interrupted multiple times by the Team Gash, Chairperson Clr Patricia White, no amount of rational argument could sway the decision of the majority of Council.

Greens Councillor Amanda Findley said, ‘The debate centred around protecting the rural amenity of the this quiet corner of Berry from a mega mansion that is resort like in its proportions’.

Clrs Findley, Guile and Kitchener were the only Councillors not to support the mega mansion and gave a variety of reasons why the application should be refused.

‘The applicant submitted the same plans to Council on a previous occasion and they were rejected, Council staff helped pre-condition Councillors by advising that an appeal in the Land and Environment Court would be lost” said Clr Findley.

‘Councillors should not be frightened into supporting an application just because of the threat of going to court, the applicant has refused to negotiate a reduction in the size of the mega mansion in the past, the mega mansion is 1500sqm. The court would force Mr Battaglia to negotiate an outcome that was more satisfactory to all parties’ said Clr Findley.

However in Mrs Findley opinion Mr Battaglia’s negotiation with the Mayor and development staff was a cynical exercise that produced very little outcome.

“Mr Battaglia has since agreed to reduce the size of the mega mansion by 10% but on a development of this proportion its barely noticeable and this agreement was made only if the application was approved, and he would take the original application to court if council rejected it”.

Councillor Findley also has concerns that an emotionally driven decision was made based on personal politics.

‘Clr Guile argued vigorously for the community of Borrowdale Close, many of his comments were ruled out of order by the chair, who later commented to me that this type of debating didn’t help the community. I advised the chair that it was her job to make a decision on the facts not on the emotion, which she advised was a hard thing to do under the circumstances’.

It’s a real shame that Council cannot take into consideration further circumstances that could warrant a deferment of the project. Mr Battaglia has links to the construction company Southern Cross that has gone into receivership owing millions to their creditors. Many people in the Shoalhaven know the pain of not being paid by a head contractor and have sought assistance from Federal member and Mayor Mrs Gash.