Eurobodalla Mayor, Mat Hatcher, is inviting the Congo community and the wider community of Eurobodalla to participate in a community engagement about Congo Road north.
At the Council meeting on Tuesday 10 May 2022, Councillors voted to defer, for three months, a decision on the options of whether to take no further action on establishing a public road through the subject property, or to explore various, quite problematic, alternatives for the establishment of such a road. In deferring, we decided to take the next three months to speak with the community and make sure all potential solutions are explored.
Mayor Hatcher says "I’d like to acknowledge this has been a difficult and divisive issue in the community and that there is no simple solution. We are a new Council dealing with a legacy issue and we will need to make a decision about the future of the road. We first want to hear from the community on possible solutions you believe Council hasn’t looked at already.
"Speakers at the Council Public Forum on 10 May 2022 told us they had solutions. We would like to work through those with you in good faith. Our aim is to establish a set of viable options developed with the community and, necessarily, with the landowner, that Council can then evaluate, and finally vote on. Naturally, this process will need to take full account of the legal and cost implications of whatever options are produced. Councillors have developed an engagement process and timeline to do this".
Process:
1. SUBMIT We want to hear from you. Please share your solutions in detail and in
writing. Submissions are welcome from everyone with a solution to offer. Please email mayor@esc.nsw.gov.au with the subject: Congo Road North Solutions.
2. REVIEW Council staff and other experts (eg solicitors) will review the proposed solutions put forward by community members and prepare responses to each of them and this will be shared and discussed at a community workshop. The full legal brief and opinions will be supplied at this workshop to keep all information transparent.
3. DISCUSS A community workshop will be held at Council Chambers in Moruya to discuss the proposed solutions put forward by the community and to share the Council’s responses to each of them. Community members who submitted proposed solutions will be invited to attend and participate in the workshop. Congo residents will be invited to attend and observe the workshop. Media will be invited to observe and report on proceedings.
4. FEEDBACK After the workshop, submission makers will have an opportunity to consider and verify Council’s responses and make final feedback before a report to Councillors is prepared. Council’s responses will be provided to submitters in hard copy and email at the workshop.
5. REPORT After receiving final feedback from submission makers, a report to Council will be prepared outlining the viable options for the Council to decide in a formal meeting.
6. DECISION Council will consider the options outlined in the report and look to make a decision at a Council Meeting, date to be advised. Members of the community can express their views about the options presented during Public Forum before the Council Meeting. While there are lots of pieces to this process we believe this is a good chance to be different and work with community.
Timeline:
• Solutions submissions open: 9:00am, Monday 16 May 2022
• Solutions submissions close: 11:59pm, Sunday 5 June 2022
• Council prepares responses to submissions: TBA
• Community solutions workshop: TBA
• Post-workshop feedback close: TBA
• Prepare report to Council: TBA
• Report to Council available on website: TBA
• Register to speak to Public Forum: TBA
• Public Forum and Council meeting for decision: TBA
The Mayor said "On behalf of Eurobodalla Council, I encourage community members to share their solutions and work with us to explore the options available. Please contact me if you have any questions. I will be in touch again ahead of the community workshop to invite you to attend and update you on progress and timeline".
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