Letters to Redlands2030

Letters to Redlands2030 include visitors views on Toondah Harbour

This week your letters include one wanting more positive stories about Council. Have a look at our respectful reply.

Also, a Newcastle visitor to GJ Walter Park, Cleveland, asks us to learn from the mistakes of waterside over-development elsewhere when it comes to Toondah Harbour.

What’s on your mind? Share it with your community through Redlands2030 Letters to the Editor.

Toondah Harbour – visitor says we should learn from others

I am visiting Cleveland. It is a lovely place and those who live here are very lucky. Today I had a picnic with my family at the beach near the Grand View Hotel. While enjoying the peace and quiet, I met a lovely lady and we spoke for ages. She told me of the Council’s plan to build a big marina and to put high-rise units along the beach.

The lovely beach and the grand old trees will be gone forever. Why can’t your Council learn from the mistakes of other places?

It is so sad that my grandchildren will not see this as place as I did.

Sue Cutts, Newcastle

Negative reporting by Redlands2030

It is so very disappointing when I read your newsletter. It is so very negative!

I agree we need to keep Redland City Council (RCC) accountable but when I read any article pertaining to council, the article is either slanted to make the reader negatively question council’s ability to make a decision on any and all matters or very critical of RCC. I’m not sure if the intention of the articles is to be subtly persuasive to the reader but your bias is totally transparent. Please remember these are our elected representatives, they are not self-elected.

Rather than keeping Council honest, from reading “The Reporter” I feel you have an underlying divisive agenda. As a long term resident I love and want the best for Redlands and its community and it is so very disappointing to see a community, which historically has worked together being manipulated into factions.

Perhaps some positive stories might be good and a nod to Council when they achieve worthwhile outcomes.

Lynne Gread, Capalaba

Redlands2030 reply to Lynn Gread

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Redlands2030’s posts and their impact on you. We welcome them.

Redlands2030 readers tell us we are offering a refreshing and honest community voice for locals who haven’t had one in a long time.

Your interest in seeing balance is a reasonable expectation, but in fairness, our concerns are the result of 18 months of asking questions about Council’s governance, procedures and operations. All too often we have been frustrated by either no response or extended delays. Sometimes we’ve had to resort to Right to Information requests (and pay hefty fees).

Redlands2030 has brought about some positive changes in how Council operates. For example, Council recently started publishing audio and video recordings of each meeting in a timely fashion. Until Redlands2030 pursued this issue, this was only available to the community if they paid for it (about $43) – and waited for weeks. We’re proud the community has much better access to Council’s decisions because of Redlands2030’s considerable efforts.

As you state, Councillors are our elected representatives. Councillors though, are elected (by law) to advocate and protect the public interest and they have city-wide (not just divisional) obligations. Some Councillors, by ‘their’ actions show a disregard for these obligations. For example, since the last election a voting block has emerged and that is not what was put to electors in 2012.

As to more positive stories, Council takes on the role of promoting itself and has a large and well-resourced professional communications team. You might not agree, but when examined much of this “news” lacks objectivity and balance.

Redlands 2030 “reporters” are all volunteers. They are informed community members, like you, who love the Redlands. But they are continually confronted by decisions and actions of Council that do not reflect well in terms of community interest, election commitments, transparent decision-making or community values. They believe it is critical that light is shone on any questionable decision-making done on behalf of Redland residents.

Please continue to read The Reporter whatever your views are. We invite you and others to tell us what’s on your mind – good and bad.

Redlands2030

 

Jimmy Duff, Sep 07, 2015

This is such a professional website I wonder who is behind it. Not having the time or wit to join the new “SOCIAL MEDIA ” phenomenon it’s so easy for criticism to end up paralysing the political process.I use my democratic right to cast my vote the way I choose and not by following social media . i advise the people behind this to get a real job.

Toni, Sep 06, 2015

Lynne I take your point and as a Councillor for many years, I was not surprised when there was negative comments of some the councils I was a member of. I was not part of the Seccombe Six, but understood that during those years there were many questionable decisions some elected members including Mayor Williams and Cr Beard made and the community had a right to be angry. I think it is healthy when the community independently makes comments. You say the Councillors are not self elected but in this Council we have a Mayor who received large sums of money from developers and regularly has to leave the room due to a conflcit of Interest. Mayor Williams and her team WILLingly put their hand up for approvals of development that are either in conflict with the Council Planning Scheme, or the State Regional Plan, approve developments which are higher density or increase heights well above the recommended Council Planning scheme. Ratepayers money subsidises developers fees and charges and now we find that the Council plans to sell Council parks through its new Development Company and bypass community accountability.
I am very grateful that people are taking such a keen interest in this Council and having a say. Redlands 2030 is giving the community an avenue to make comment. That saying “The bad continue while the good do nothing” is thankfully not going to happen in Redlands whilst we have passionate people who care about our future.

Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net

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