Dear Beagle Editor,
I was bemused to read in the Beagle last week that the Hon. Rob Stokes, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces criticised Eurobodalla Council’s decision to sell Council-owned land at Dalmeny and advised residents:
‘As this is a matter for Council to manage at the local level, I would encourage you and members of your group to continue to raise your concerns with Council directly.’
I don’t know what it’s been like for concerned Dalmeny residents, but here in Tuross we are constantly doing just that. Raising our concerns with Council about the 72-home development planned right next to beautiful Coila Lake’s foreshore.
The attractive remnant rainforest, wetlands, saltmarsh and seagrass beds support wildlife including black cockatoos and Wrens, diverse plants and insects and needs protection. It’s a valued Aboriginal Cultural Heritage site and is used by many residents for recreation, photography and exercise.
Council, on the few occasions they have communicated with us, do not appear to have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and maintain that as this development dates back to 1984, it does not require and EIA. Nor have they produced an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit.
For Rob Stokes’ information, resident’s recent attempts to engage Council include a 17 August presentation to their Public Meeting via Zoom. When a Councillor asked a question of our Spokesperson, the Presentation was abruptly, unilaterally shut down by Council who stated
‘he can’t answer questions on behalf of the group as he’d have to go back and consult the group.’
On 2 September they wrote that they had developed an unwritten ‘protocol over time’ which the General Manager explained hoc:
‘Council’s protocol is to allow questions of presenters when they are able to demonstrate that they conclusively represent the organisation to which they refer in their submission to Council. This is demonstrated, for example, by the presenter being the Convenor or Co-Convenor, President or member of the executive body.”
Council received our written presentation the day prior but failed to inform us that ‘Spokesperson’ would be less than adequate.
Further, Tuross residents involved in trying to tame the potential effects of this development find their emails to Council are now largely unanswered. I sent one two weeks ago simply following up on a verbal request to Council for a summary of the submissions they have made concerning the development. Others have many more unanswered communications.
What I would say to Rob Stokes if I had the chance is that ‘It’s difficult to continually raise concerns with a Council when they treat residents in an unresponsive and contemptuous manner.
Robyn Flynn
