Redland City Council’s decision to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Redland Museum about restoration of Willard’s Farm is questioned by the Birkdale Progress Association.
Mayor Williams
Redland City Council
Attention Andrew Chesterman
CEO, Redland City Council
Dear Mayor Williams,
As President of Birkdale Progress Association (BPA) I am writing to express our dissatisfaction that Redland City Council (RCC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Redland Museum for the restoration of Willard’s Farm. This vote was taken during a mayoral minute at the General Meeting, Wednesday December 4, 2019.
Thank you to Crs Bishop, Boglary, Hewlett and Huges for voting against this motion. Crs Elliott and Gleeson were absent from the meeting.
BPA is not criticising the Redland Museum. It is a fine example of a volunteer organisation that protects and showcases Redland history. BPA is criticising the process by which this decision was passed. During the General Meeting December 4, Councillors’ comments indicated that:
- there had been little to no previous discussions
- there was pressure to limit discussion
- the mayoral request had been an ambush, sprung on the councillors to force through a predetermined outcome
As Cr Golle said, the mayoral minute looked like a “ploy” but, to what purpose? Is it Redland City Council’s intent to keep other interested organisations out of the restoration of Willard’s Farm? If so, why? Is Mayor Williams showing disrespect to community organisations in her request to enter the memorandum with one organisation only?
Why has Birkdale Progress Association been ignored when our organisation saved the property from becoming 12 featureless lots in 2015? Our application for State Heritage listing and requests to RCC to purchase the property surely indicate our passion for the heritage of Willard’s Farm. Doesn’t this count? Doesn’t this warrant an invite to the planning table, simply out of respect?
Mayor Williams stated at the General Meeting that no other group had written to council showing interest in the restoration process. If BPA had known that it was this simple then I’d have written to request community involvement in Willard’s Farm restoration long ago. I have spoken with Crs Bishop, Boglary and Elliott about BPA members’ interest in the restoration of Willards. Doesn’t this count?
I have spoken with Sven Ljundberg, a Redland City employee, who was the Project Manager of Willard’s Farm restoration, October 18, 2017, as to when community involvement would commence. Doesn’t this count?
Sven Ljundberg is an architect with a background in Heritage and Project Management. To BPA’s understanding Sven was in charge of the restoration process using the Converge team of Heritage Consultants’ assessment of the property. Why has Redlands Museum been given the task to restore Willard’s Farm when Sven was already working enthusiastically with heritage specialists in 2017, on this very task?
From my discussion with Sven the first stage of the restoration was underway as urgent repairs were being completed. Plans were being established. Yet the Redland City Bulletin December 11, 2019 states that “Council and the museum will plan to restore and protect the buildings in a manner that allowed for community access and celebration of the property’s history.” Haven’t the goals and steps to achieve these already been established? Why waste ratepayers’ money?
Where were the public announcements calling on interested community organisations as promised by Bill Lyon, CEO in the Redland City Council News December 14, 2016? “We will also undertake community consultation and work with community groups to determine the long-term use of the site.” Bill Lyon’s statement referred to “groups” so why is only one community group allowed to be involved in the restoration of Willard’s Farm and the planning of its future?
Why has the Redland Museum been singled out? Do their members have more expertise than members of the Redland community in heritage matters?
Was it a “Deal Struck on Willard’s Farm: mayor” as reported in the Redland City Bulletin December 11, 2019. If so, to what purpose?
What about the National Trust, an esteemed organisation that values all heritage matters? The newly formed Redland’s branch was not offered a seat at the planning table? Why not? Yet, RCC has shown that it values the branch, having presented it with a grant in 2019?
What about Cr Bishop? He shows such passion for and knowledge of the Willard Farmhouse and its history. Why was he shocked by the suddenness of the mayoral minute and the Memorandum of Understanding? Why has he been left out?
Why isn’t Willard’s Farm project being led by Council, Cr Bishop and interested community members and organisations? Isn’t the “best outcome” for the Willard property the preferred option?
“Council understands that good community engagement delivers genuine benefits by ensuring our residents’ views, needs and concerns are understood when decisions are made,” according to Council’s Community Engagement Team in Our Redlands Coast Winter 2019 magazine.
If this is what RCC believes then why have Mayor Williams and the Councillors who voted for the Memorandum of Understanding not valued “good community engagement”? What do they hope to achieve by alienating the community?
Does Mayor Williams and the Councillors who voted for the Memorandum of Understanding on December 4, 2019 not value integrity? Has Mayor Williams shown a clear lack of respect for process and the community?
Yours sincerely,
Pam Spence
President
Birkdale Progress Association Inc
Council’s discussion about the Willard’s Farm memorandum
This matter was discussed as a mayoral minute, with no notice, at Redland City Council’s meeting on 4th December 2019.
The discussion can be viewed on the Council meeting video recording, commencing at 8:00 minutes.
Redlands2030 – 29 January 2020
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
7 Comments
Re Willard’s Farm Birkdale.
I was interested to read in BPA President Pam’s letter, that she had spoken with Redland City Council employee, Sven Ljundberg, Project Manager of Willard Farm’s restoration, as to when community involvement would commence.
I was surprised to learn Sven is experienced in Heritage and Project Management and was in charge of the Restoration Project. Pam is right in asking: ‘Why have these two gentlemen from Redland Museum been suddenly given the task of restoring Willard’s Farm? What is their expertise? Why did we, the people of Redland City, only learn of the involvement of these two gentlemen from Redland Museum in a photograph in local newspaper? Are they qualified
architects in restoration work on heritage buildings with expertise in drawing up plans to get started?
Can Mayor Williams explain why she has rejected Mr Sven Ljundberg’s contribution to this project? Was he aware the task was being handed over to these two gentlemen with Redland Museum? If so, how did he react to this sudden switch to another party preferred by mayor and mates…that includes Federal Member for Bowman Andrew Laming photographed smiling, along with Mayor Williams, shocking the community with the revelation on Commonwealth land, giving no thanks or recognition of years of painstaking ground work by Birkdale Progress Association members along with other members of the community experienced in heritage matters. People everywhere are screaming for honest leadership in local, State and Federal governments that appears to be lacking where abuse of power, behind the scenes deals done, is rampant leaving communities floundering unaware of where they stand on any issue. This is just one of them!
Isn’t this just another example of this council thumbing it’s nose at the people of Redlands. Quite clearly the endeavours of BPA have been completely ignored and totally disrespected by the mayor and her cohorts and established protocols for decision making seem to have been thrown out of the window. The inherent insult to the system , the dissenting councillors and the people that elected this council “in good faith” is totally unacceptable. The similarities between this episode and the Walker project at Toondah harbour are glaringly obvious and one wonders what other secret deals will be exposed after the upcoming election. People now have so little faith in the integrity of government, at all levels, that the greatest task of those seeking election, or re-election will be to convince the electorate of their honest intentions.
I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to everyone who was responsible in the decision to restore Willard’s Farm and stop the land from being developed. Thanks to Mum and Dad purchasing this historical beauty in 1984, our family had the pleasure of being it’s last owners – spending over 27 wonderful years living in it, restoring it to its former glory and researching its incredible heritage and ancestry. I was thrilled to learn that it’s magnificent shutters will opening once again. Kindest regards Belinda Brandt.
A well written letter that raises many questions about the process followed by the Mayor.
This whole scenario involving Willard’s Farm and Mayor Williams smells of something underhanded. There is so much self interest and “conflict of interest” within the current Redland City Council it will be interesting to see the results of the council election in March 2020.
Why does this ‘sneeky’ scenario not surprise me!
Roll on Election Day!
After attending an initial meeting chaired by Cr Bishop when he was judging the community’s interest in saving Willard’s farm, and some of the historical nature of this property was still coming to light, before the property was excised into Cr. Gleeson’s council electorate, I don’t remember
any large presentation on the night from Redlands Museum. I like the Redlands Museum but for it to be singled out as “a Captain’s Choice” without including community involvement from others interested in the project is a slap in the face to those who are interested in our Redlands’ history!