The Beagle Editor
Last year our Elected Councillors and Council Staff announced the purchase of the old Batemans Bay Bowling Club Site on behalf of the Shires Residents for a figure at the time of around $2.5 -7 million dollars of Ratepayers Funds. Sometime later it became clear it was purchased with loan funding from somewhere. The shires residents and ratepayers are paying for that now as well. The purchase was made without any sort of future plans for what was explained as a “Strategic Site”, whatever that’s supposed to mean ?
It was known at the time of the council purchase on behalf of the shires residents that the land was, and is, effected by development controls particularly the “ Climate Change ” or “ Sea Level Rise Policy’s “ as is other parts of the Batemans Shopping Precinct. Floor level heights of the Shopping or Retail areas just across the road is evidence of that .
The Council report for the May 23rd Council meeting indicates the Council has no idea of what to do with the area now owned by the shires residents. That suggests the purchase was purely a “Speculative” purchase, that had election “promises” attached to it. How deceitful those who made statements and promises about the purchase, were. They were clearly desperate individuals, lifestyle seekers, you could say, at others expense.
How will the shires residents get value for money from that fiasco now ?
Allan Brown
Catalina NSW
