Treetop training centre on Council agenda

Site of proposed treetop training centre at Colbourn Avenue in Victoria Point

Plans for development of a treetop training centre in Victoria Point will be considered by Redland City Council at its next general meeting on Wednesday 22 February 2017.

The proposal was discussed by Redlands2030 in a post published on 18 March 2016 when the development application was advertised.

Treetop training centre planned for Victoria Point

The officers report recommends that the application be approved, with conditions.

Other items of business on the Council’s agenda include:

• Public participation
• Routine review of routine reports (Operational Plan quarterly report, Court cases, delegated decisions, monthly financial report)
• Updated asset guidelines and procedures
• Approving a minor amendment to Council’s policy on Discounts and Waivers of Fees, Charges and Infringements (the version approved a few months ago didn’t “strictly comply” with the Local Government Regulations)
• In closed session (no public or media present) Council will discuss matters relating to drainage easements on Russell and Macleay Islands.

What’s happening with the Draft City Plan 2015?

Nearly a year ago Redlands2030 called for the Council to have another go at preparing a new planning scheme. In Redlands needs a much better City Plan we said:

The Draft City Plan 2015 produced by the Williams Council was a shocker. It was developed with early input from the residential building sector and biased to favor that sector against existing residents.

Instead of patching up a poorly drafted town plan that was written to favour the residential development sector, the new Council elected on 19 March should develop a properly drafted planning scheme based on sound assumptions about forecast population growth. And this time, when drafting the plan, the Council should engage with the whole community – not just well connected property developers and builders.

Since then, Redlands residents elected a new Council, and the community has heard little more about the Draft City Plan 2015.

We know that councillors have discussed submissions about the new planning scheme in many “workshops’, the Council’s quaint term for non public meetings.

The Council’s website, updated in December 2016, says:

Once Councillors are satisfied that all submissions have been responded to, the next step is for Council to decide at a General Meeting whether it proceeds with an amended Plan in response to submissions and decides to submit the Plan to the Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning for second state interest review. This is expected to occur in the first quarter 2017.

After this is completed, Council is required to write to all individual submitters with advice on how Council has addressed the submissions. At the same time, Council will also make the amended plan available to the wider community for information.

No Council submission about the draft new Regional Plan

Submissions about the draft new Regional Plan close on 3 March 2017.

Since the Council meeting on Wednesday is the last one before the consultation period ends, and there is no item of business for discussion of a regional plan submission, we presume that Redland City Council won’t be making a submission.

If you think that the Council should be making a submission on behalf of Redlands residents and ratepayers, you could contact any of the City’s local councillors.

Council avoids discussing the Ombudsman’s report

It’s generally understood that the cover up is usually a greater public relations disaster than the matter being covered up. And this goes for dealing with embarrassing reports by external investigators.

On 5 January the Queensland Ombudsman published an investigative report dealing with Redland City Council’s response to “relatively minor criticism of council’s decisions”.

In his Redland City Council defamation report the Ombudsman raises questions about the integrity of decision-making by Redland City Council.

It is astonishing that Redland City councillors have not required this report to be discussed at a general meeting.

Do councillors condone actions which were criticised by the Ombudsman?

What is being done to improve Redland City Council’s decision making processes?

Further reading about the Ombudsman’s report

• Redland City Council defamation report, Ombudsman, 5 January 2017
• Ombudsman blasts Redland City Council over Facebook legal threats, Brisbane Times, 5 January 2017
• Statement in response to Ombudsman Report, Redland City Council, 6 January 2017
• Ombudsman slams Redland City Council, Redlands2030, 23 January 2017

Consultation about a new park in Thornlands

Redland City Council has acquired land and commenced planning for a new community park on the corner of Cleveland Redland Bay Road and Waterline Boulevard, Thornlands.

The Council is inviting people to attend an on site consultation activity to discuss plans for the new park, on Saturday 25 February from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.

More information is available on the Redland City Council Website and Facebook page.

Redlands2030 – 20 February 2017