Editorial Statement
The Scenic Rim Regional Council obligates Councillors to "parrot" an inane statement of democratic principles prior to any public statement. The Tamborine Mountain Daily Star shall no longer publish these "parrot statements". Nor will we inform the Scenic Rim Regional Council if any Councillor has made these statements to us prior to expressing their opinion. The requirement for Councillors to make "parrot statements" is authoritarian, undemocratic and not the Australian way.
The views expressed in the following column are those of Cr Derek Swanborough and not those of this publication.
Council Parkland at Kerry
Council’s recent decision to relinquish 11.4 hectares of land for future sport and recreation on Kerry Road, which I strenuously opposed, is about to come under further scrutiny. This land is absolute prime flat land that fronts the Albert River and the local farmers tell me is worth $3,000 an acre, or $900,000 on present market rates.
The Mayor declared a conflict of interest because the person trying to purchase it from the crown, and who is the current lessee, contributed to his last election campaign. The other councillors all supported the resolution to say it was no longer needed.
Well it could have just slipped underneath the radar and no one would have been the wiser, as there was no consultation on the issue.
Having access to good public land is essential for a Council as it gives options for providing essential community facilities as they are needed. A decade ago this land was considered when Federal funding was floating around for a regional equestrian centre.
I just could not believe what I was witnessing when they decided to relinquish it to the crown. Is giving away such land and not even getting paid for it good financial management? Just imaging if Council needed to purchase this land in the future, how much more costly would that be?
The local farmers took up a petition of 20 signatures in just one day after the Beaudesert Times ran a story based on my press release on the issue. See http://www.derekformayor.com/node/80
I presented that petition at the last meeting and as a result has resolved it will again consider the issue at this month’s Community Services Committee meeting.
Conflict of Interest provisions changed
Remember in March this year I was voted out of several items at meetings by the Council under the now infamous Local Government Act “Conflict of Interest or DOB IN “provisions, in relation to decisions about the Progress Association.
Under the Local Government Act other Councillors could accuse and point the finger and exclude someone as they collectively agreed there may have been a perception of a conflict of interest.
The famous photo taken of me with Progress Association members at the Brisbane Law Courts was enough to convince our Council I couldn’t participate in decision making on any Progress association issues.
After I complained of this absurdity and injustice, the Department of Local Government sent down two senior managers to interview me, Henry Braun, Jeanette Lockey, Roland Lindenmayer, Councillor Wehl, and several other councillors and officers to try and make a link to justify the unjustifiable decisions.
As explained by Roland Lindenmayer to the Minister, the evidence taken from those interviewed was in itself riddled with errors and untruths, yet in there process evidence given was never allowed to be seen or challenged.
Well without much fanfare the Government has just amended the Act. Seems like they were clutching at straws trying to defend this piece of poor legislation. It has come full circle and it’s mostly now back to the individual Councillor to determine if they have a conflict. Strict penalties apply for breach of this requirement.
High Density Housing and Duplexs
The number one reason people like living in Scenic Rim is the rural character of the towns and villages. That was the finding of the just released Community Plan.
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"You can barely walk between these two houses" |
Well this could be under threat unless the next Council addresses the issue of secondary housing and starts to put planning decisions in place to protect the amenity of our towns.
Growth is beneficial but not at the expense of existing liveability. I think it’s all too late for this Council to do anything now with just 4 months of business left.
Has Council dropped the ball and has its planning decisions been good for the region as a whole?
Whilst it has been full steam ahead talking up the benefits of the Beaudesert Town growing to 30,000 people in 20 years, the residents are starting to see the downside, and the process has only just begun.
A petition was recently received from 120 Beaudesert residences objecting to the 26 duplexes built in their suburbs in just the last 12 months, with the juggernaut in full swing. All are self-assessable with no controls from Council.
The petitioners say that Council is justifying its planning scheme which allows this by saying this is “Development consistent with the pattern of development established within the community”.
You have to ask would you want duplexes instead of houses built on all the remaining vacant lots?
It can and does change the character of estates for the worse with more cars, congestion rentals, and transient owners and devalues neighborhoods, if not carefully managed.
I took some photos of what’s happening in Brayford Estate in Beaudesert and I wonder if this is also what Council wants all round the Shire? Council has to meet Regional Plan guidelines for housing density, however I think it can be done without this result.
We certainly know that Council encouraged this form of development and wanted us to have it on Tamborine Mountain with Hyacinth (45 lots on 500m2 lots).
Take a look for yourself at the photo above right. I’ve seen it on Channels 9’s A Current Affair, but never thought Scenic Rim would be approving houses built just feet apart with guttering only inches apart.
You can barely walk between these two houses.
I guess if the Council is focused on changing Beaudesert and Canungra and Tamborine Mountain with Boonah Kalbar and Kooralbyn (500 Houses?), then can we get ready for more of this in the future?
I’ve written about the future of the Scenic Rim on my website and you may find some of the reasons why we are in a real crisis of direction at the moment.
Consultation in Library
Just a reminder that I meet with residents at the Tamborine Mountain Library on the second Wednesday of the month from 4:00 to 6:00pm. I will be there next on Wednesday 12th October 2011.
Please call me or leave a text message if you require an appointment or simply drop in. My mobile number is 0447206006. I am always available for on-site meetings to address resident’s issues as required. The best email address to make a personal appointment is at derek@derekformayor.com. You can also join me on Facebook at Derek.Swanborough, or visit my website at www.derekformayor.com.