DEMOCRACY AT LAST!!

We have all been waiting for the ‘fat lady to sing’ and looks like it has finally happened. 

The Surf Coast Shire Council met on Wednesday 23/5/12 and in light of the number of objections have resolved NOT to proceed with the Precinct 2 Roads & Drainage Scheme. 

They also say they will not pursue any alternate scheme at this time and any future Scheme will require strong support from the community. I think we can consider this a ‘win’ for the little guys. 

Well done and Thank You to all involved.

We cannot attach the relevant documents because the Surf Coast Shire website does not allow downloads. The Surf Coast Shire website is cumbersome and very user-unfriendly. 

It is a simple matter for council to post Minutes etc in a very accessible way. 

Makes you wonder why they don't.

However they can be viewed on the Surf Coast Shire Website, go to Council Meetings, Agendas and Minutes, May Meeting, Pages 53 – 55:

http://www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/My_Council/Agendas_Minutes/Council_Agendas_Minutes

DELAYED TIL COUNCIL'S MAY AGENDA?

The people voted - 63% against the scheme.
The people spoke - loud and clear at Council's hearings on Friday 13th April.
The position is clear.
BUT...
Instead of dealing with the overwhelming community opposition to this rate, and declaring the abandonment of the scheme as they are bound to both legally and morally,
the Surf Coast Shire Council has decided to push this question back til the May Council meeting.
Meanwhile, having mucked their rate-payers about since January, wasting our time, energy and money, they refuse to concede. And yes, they are wasting more of our money on this dud of a scheme as each day passes.
Unimpressed.

COUNCIL HEARINGS! BUT IS COUNCIL DEAF??

Well, after dozens of locals spoke heartily and united against the Special rate scheme at council hearings on Friday the 13th of April, ratepayers are STILL in the dark about council's mysterious procedure. (Council engineers read out a letter from an unknown absentee 'supporter', despite NOT reading letters from absentee objectors on the night.)

Only 4 councillors showed for the hearings, a pretty poor effort considering the impact of this scheme in the community.
One councillor who did not appear 'due to her conflict of interest' is the very same councillor who moved the original motion to declare this scheme. Seems council applies a very flexible standard of Conflict of Interest rules.

Ratepayers are waiting for this circus to end. It has eaten up $43K in public funds for the Citizens Jury farce, plus who knows how much in officer's salaries pushing this scheme over 6 years since 2006 to today.
It has wasted the time, money and energies of hundreds of ratepayers who made their objections clear months ago.
How long and how much more money will Council waste on this dud of a scheme?
Stay tuned to the Surf Coast Shire website for the next council meeting agenda!

SURF COAST SHIRE CHEATS PROTEST VOTE

The Surf Coast Shire has gone back on its word and changed the number of properties AFTER the community's protest vote. Council officers and Councillors confirmed  - in writing and verbally - on more than one occasion the total numbers at 311 properties.

The protest vote was overwhelming, needing 156 for 51%, and getting 188 objections.

Council's decision after the vote to INCREASE the base number of properties to 358 

by including potential subdivisions shows true contempt for its constituents. 

This devious re-jig of the numbers attempts to try to reduce the community's win to a margin of just 8 instead of the true 32.

Yet even then there are still enough votes to beat this scheme, even with this latest act of dissembling by Council.

This is clearly outlined in Local Govt Act: Section 163B (6): http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/lga1989182/s163b.html

        

Yet Council is insisting that 'hearings' now occur, as advised only by a notice posted by stealth on its website.

(Was Council planning to actually communicate this to us in any meaningful way, i.e. by letter?)

These hearings are surely are unnecessary in the face of such true and overwhelming opposition. 

What a waste of MORE of rate-payer's money, their precious time and energy.

Do these Councillors really not understand we have businesses to run families to attend to?

They are paid for this ridiculous waste of time, we are not.

This scheme should be abandoned, it has been overwhelmingly opposed.

Council has wasted so much of rate-payers money already on this since 2008, money far better spent on road maintenance.

This is a scandal.

Council creates impossible deadlines, devises unbeatable odds to fabricate a Herculean task that citizens must undergo just to obtain a fair representation. And when we beat even these most devious of rules, they change the rules.

It's no wonder people end up with scant respect for Council and Councillors, and despising the whole system.

MAJORITY VOTES AGAINST 'SPECIAL RATE'

The Surf Coast Shire Council has just failed in its bid to levy a 'Special Rate' in Aireys Inlet Precint 2 for unwanted road seal, pathways and drainage.

For many this was a cost of $3,000, $6,000, $10,000 and even $40,000+ for some households.

Overwhemlng community opposition (188 written objections) has stopped this scheme in its tracks.

Council has wasted $43,000 on "consultation" with a 'citizen's jury' and unknown further funds propelling this scheme since 2008, all the while ignoring the voice of its own community. Money that would have been better spent on routine works.

Why are Councils so deaf to their rate-payers? How can they afford to expend $15 million on new council offices in a spend of $40 million in Torquay-centric headquarters, and say there are simply no rate-payers funds left for general maintenance works in Aireys Inlet?

Council then tries to force rate-payers to pay again for everything from basic road works to unnecessary and unwanted road-seal and pathways.

What has become of Council's fundamental advocacy role? This disconnection from constituents provides a stark contrast to connected, creative communities like Aireys Inlet.

Surf Coast Shire wasting $43,000?

At all recent Council information sessions, the Juror's recommendations were never shown to the community. Only the Council's 'paving' plan was displayed. Residents were not made aware there were other recommendations.

After repeated requests, council has finally posted the Citizen's Plan, on 28.2.12 - nearly TWO MONTHS after the scheme was advised.
Not only that, how would anyone KNOW this information had been posted? Quietly, online, and unannounced to all effected parties.

Why did Council spend $43,000 on a 'Citizen's Jury' and then refuse to disclose the recommendations of residents and consulting experts?
Why did council keep this VITAL information from residents?
Why is council ignoring the recommendations?

DEADLINE for Objections 9 March

If you have not objected yet, please do so pronto.
Fill in a form at the bottom shops, AND write a letter of objection to council.
The deadline approaches!
This may not be the last Special Rate you are charged. they are becoming more prevalent than we ever knew.