tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445111183007833890.post5047952146043345803..comments2023-12-30T01:39:18.742+11:00Comments on The House(s) of Fran_mart: Hamlet without the PrinceFlabmeisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00934077052437339591noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445111183007833890.post-15024407772085088362016-02-12T19:37:24.535+11:002016-02-12T19:37:24.535+11:00Thanks for those comments David.
Dealing with t...Thanks for those comments David. <br /><br />Dealing with the second one first, I must have misheard Mr Turners statement of his role as he was also having trouble with the microphones early on. I couldn't understand how the A/G CEO could be involved in every enquiry so thank you for resolving that. I shall fix the reference above and include a note of your comments for people to read. <br /><br />The speakers after Mr Waterhouse must have been brief indeed since I left at about 8:00pm and by 8:30 a person from Carwoola - possibly the speaker you mention - had put some brief comments on our community email group. Allowing time for her to get home, the meeting wrapped up no later than 8:20.<br /><br />As I have mentioned off-line I have been very disappointed with the recent actions and inactions of the Palerang Shire and impressed with most recent dealings I have had with QCC. While QCC may not really know about rural areas all Palerang know to do is to let developers built McMansions on them, while slugging ratepayers for the costs involved. (in a recent Survey the community rejected Palerangs bid to seek a Special Rate Variation, but the Council apparently rejected the Survey results.Flabmeisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934077052437339591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445111183007833890.post-62490048503624971692016-02-12T11:16:54.190+11:002016-02-12T11:16:54.190+11:00PS The person conducting the enquiry into splittin...PS The person conducting the enquiry into splitting Palerang and merging the western part with QBN City Council, Mr John Turner, is not the a/g Chief Executive of the Office of Local Govt, as you suggested above. He is the Delegate of the chief Executive.<br /><br />Mr Turner had a long career as a NSW National Party politician. As the OLG website advises at https://www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au/#delegates :<br /><br />'John Turner<br />John is a former solicitor and Member of Parliament with extensive Board experience. During his 23 years as Member for Myall Lakes, John was involved in a number of Parliamentary Committees and appointed to the Shadow Cabinet from 1996 - 2007. John has a considerable understanding of local government due to his past roles as Shadow Minister for Local Government, Deputy Mayor for the Greater Cessnock City Council and as Chairman for the NSW Local Government Acts Taskforce.'David McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17319842911865753031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445111183007833890.post-82153650835846177842016-02-12T10:40:35.748+11:002016-02-12T10:40:35.748+11:00Thank you, sorry I did not see you there Martin, p...Thank you, sorry I did not see you there Martin, perhaps you were towards the back of the room?<br /><br />After the person you mention, an educator (Bill Waterhouse from Majors Creek) spoke, I spoke. Sorry you missed my remarks. I oppose the Minister's proposal and do so as it fails to meet the criteria set out in s. 263 of the <i>Local Govt Act</i>, not because of any dislike of the Palerang councillors nor staff. Indeed, I have very favourable attitudes towards many of the councillors and staff. I reckon that most of them do a great job for the ratepayers of Palerang. They certainly do for my part of the shire.<br /><br />I am also disgusted at the errors and falsehoods in the proposal document and the lack of transparency in the process, eg the State govt refuses to release the financial modelling that they say they are using to justify the split and mergers. I am concerned that the abolition of Palerang will result in the rural areas of the new LGA being disenfranchised, and our rates being sucked into the City of Queanbeyan, used for awful things like the EDE while the rural area is left to rot.<br /><br />Then spoke Jenny Richards on behalf of the Wamboin Community Association. That Association (of which I am an active member) opposes the proposal and supports the status quo.<br /><br />Then spoke Katrina Willis from QBN, a prominent green activist. She expressed great concern with the split and merge process.<br /><br />Then spoke developer Greg Nye from Bungendore. He failed to indicate where he stands re the proposal, and used his time to attack Palerang Council and its processes.<br /><br />Then spoke John van der Straaten, a farmer from Wamboin. He expressed concern about the lack of democratic practices in this split and merge proposal, and supported maintaining the status quo.<br /><br />Then spoke a woman from Royalla, also supporting the status quo, ie opposing the proposal.<br /><br />The final speaker was a woman from Carwoola who spoke persuasively in opposition to splitting communities (evidencing Carwoola as an example of how damaging this is) and emphasised how a Queanbeyan city-dominated merged council would not understand, and be responsive to, the rural parts of the new merged shire.<br /><br />On my count, of the 12 speakers, 8 expressed a clear position on the split and merge proposals. Of that 8, 3 supported the government's proposal and 5 opposed it, calling for the maintenance of the status quo. These proportions are similar to those at the three previous meetings in Goulburn, Braidwood and Queanbeyan.David McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17319842911865753031noreply@blogger.com