Dear Beagle Editor, Last week, on behalf of the Batemans Bay Dog Park Supporters Group, I invited all councillors to a meet with us to talk about matters of concern in progressing this amenity. Also invited were representatives from the RSPCA, Bay Push and Batemans Bay Chamber of Commerce. RSPCA and Bay Push representatives kindly took up our invitation and we thank them for their attention and interest.
Councillor Constable attended our meeting with Councillors Nathan and McGinlay putting in apologies. No response was received from other councillors.
Via her personal assistant, the mayor responded -
‘Given the Mayor is extremely busy the next few weeks and this matter is going to the Council Briefing on 6 June 2017, Clr Innes thinks it would be best for you to meet without her’.
Yet, the Mayor, it seems, will always find time to speak with ‘others’ seemingly more important.
That she would prefer to wait until ‘after’ the matter comes back to Council in June, when this matter has been on the table for three years, speaks volumes.
Seriously, Madam Mayor? You are too busy to listen to members of the Batemans Bay community, who put you into the top job, on a matter where over 1,000 people signed a petition in support of this amenity, preferring instead to listen firstly to what council staff has to say. Whatever happened to ‘I will stand shoulder to shoulder with the community’? Have you now become a member of ‘staff’?
Action does indeed speak louder than words.
Coral Anderson
Caseys Beach
