Council Meeting 21 October
Here is a link to the Council’s meeting minutes. You can watch a video of the meeting or listen to an audio recording. Some of the matters discussed at the meeting are detailed below.
Three Councillors were physically absent form the meeting including Mayor Karen Williams, and Cr Wendy Boglary who were attending a local government conference and Cr Julie Talty who was unwell. Crs Boglary and Talty were able to attend the meeting by phone.
Koala protection reduced for Redland Bay development
Mature koala trees will make way for housing development at Muller Street Redland Bay, following a Council Decision to reclassify land from high-value bushland habitat to medium-value rehabilitation. This resolution was passed on the casting vote of meeting chairman Cr Alan Beard.
More information is available in the Bulletin’s Report: Koala rules relaxed to make way for Redland Bay subdivision.
Rushwood residents get a win, for now
Rushwood Estate residents expressing their concerns before the Council meeting on 21 October
Council voted unanimously to refuse Ausbuild’s application for a development at 35-41 Wrightson Road, Thornlands. The officers report recommended that the controversial development application be approved.
Resident’s of Rushwood Estate were pleased with the Council’s decision but recognize that Ausbuild may appeal.
More information is available in this Bulletin Report.
A sceptical observer might wonder why the pro-developer faction didn’t use its numbers in Council to push this one through. Of course there is a local government election only five months away.
Council to investigate purchase of Willards Farm
Redland City Council’s property company is to investigate the purchase of Willards Farm, including options for developing the site and retaining existing buildings.
This was the subject of an urgent motion without notice put forward by Cr Mark Edwards. According to the Bulletin, he said:
This site is rich with history, in particular the site’s homestead, dairy and huts, and the community has voiced concern that an existing development application over the site could result in this history being lost.
Here is a link to the Bulletin’s report.
Aquaculture project status questioned
Cr Craig Ogilvie wanted to find out why the Council seemed to have made no progress in its investigation of an aquaculture project. Following a fairly silly debate about whether this was urgent business without notice the CEO admitted that he didn’t know. If you want to watch the video, this is item 15.2.1.
The Bulletin had a bit of fun with its story headline: CEO flounders over aquaculture report.
Cost overrun for report on community panels
In August councillors, acting on a motion put forward by Deputy Mayor Alan Beard, requested the CEO to report on community panels as reference, advisory and/or review groups and allocated a budget of $10,000. It appears that the cost of this study was underestimated. On Wednesday, councillors resolved to remove the $10,000 limit and deal with the cost as part of the first budget review. Perhaps they should have asked a community panel to do the job.
Cr Elliott says sorry
Cr Murray Elliott advised the Council meeting that the Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal determined that he had engaged in misconduct under the Local Government Act. The matter related to statements made to the media by Cr Elliott regarding Council’s legal advice about the proposed Ausbuild development at Cleveland-Redland Bay Road, Thornlands.
Draft City Plan 2015
Residents voice concerns about sale of parks at a City Plan consultation activity at Alexandra Hills
This week the Council will conduct City Plan consultation activities as follows:
- Monday 26 October: Apex Park Wellington Point, 3:00pm – 5:00pm
- Wednesday 28 October: Victoria Point Lakeside Shopping Centre, 11:30am – 1:30pm
- Thursday 29 October: Capalaba Park Shopping Centre, 11:30am – 1:30pm
- Thursday 29 October: Mooroondu Sport & Recreation Clubhouse, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
- Saturday 31 October: Ormiston Village, 11:30am – 1:30pm
- Sunday 1 November: Cleveland Markets 10:00am – 12:00pm
On Monday the Mayor published a newsletter which claims that discussions about the proposed rezoning of surplus land could not be made public until the state government’s Minister for planning signed off on our draft City Plan.
This is quite unbelievable. At just about any time since its workshop in October 2014 the Council could have initiated public discussion about its view that some parcels of Council land were ‘surplus’. Instead, the Council chose to be secretive.
Island properties for sale
Redland City Council will hold an auction of 28 properties on 12 November. The properties are being sold so the Council can recoup more than $240,000 in unpaid rates.
21 properties are located on Russell Island and seven are on Macleay Island. Details of the 15 properties to be auctioned are available here.
For further information including details of the time and place of the auction refer to this Council news release.
The news release is quite unusual in that it doesn’t include any quotes from the Mayor or councillors. On this occasion the Council’s PR team has attributed all the quotes to CEO Bill Lyon. Presumably there are no votes in news about selling land because people could not afford the rates.
Redland City SES wins award
Council’s Local Disaster Management Group deputy chair Cr Alan Beard attended the award ceremony
Redland City’s SES unit has won an award for being the best unit in the Brisbane region. Redlands SES has now won this award for the last seven years.
Here is a link to the Council’s news release.
In comparison with the news release for sale of properties (above) the SES news release featured plenty of quotes attributed to the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor.
Everyone loves to be associated with a winner.
New Healthy Waterways rating system
The Healthy Waterways report cards have adopted a new rating system this year which delivered Redland City a C+.
According to the Bulletin’s report:
Deputy Mayor Alan Beard said there had been great results from council’s waterways extension program and Thursday’s results were “promising”.
This year’s rating cannot be compared to last year’s “F” for fail rating. However, councillor Wendy Boglary said if the same measurements were used, the city’s waterways would still have received an “F” this year.
Here is a link to the Health Waterways report for Redlands.
Redlands2030 – 25 October 2015
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One Comment
City Plan consultation activities..
Re Council’s parcels of land considered ‘surplus’ to be rezoned..all done in secret behind closed doors. Is that what 16 parks, reserves, donated land some paid for with our environmental levy, are? SURPLUS land?
This is not the kind of oouncil we need..secretive and underhanded in the way it treats its citizens.
Land Use Planning – Integrated Planning Act 1997, outlines function & powers of local govts making planning decisions.The Act seeks to achieve objectives by ensuring that decision making proceses are:
accountable, coordinated & efficient; Take account of short & long-term environmental effects of development; Apply precautionary principle; Seek to provide equity between present & future generations; Ensure sustainable use of renewable natural resources & prudent use of non-renewable natural resources; Avoid, lessen adverse environmental effects of development; Supply nfrastructure in coordinated, efficient & orderly way, encouraging urban development in areas where adequate infrastructure exists or can be provided efficiently; Apply standards of amenity, conservation, energy health & safety in the built environment, cost effective, for public benefit; and Provide opportunities for community involvement in decision making.
After RCC heavyweights have already made decisions on our behalf, behind closed doors, we, the people, are invited to comment. Why!…when what we have to say will continue to fall on deaf ears in my view..