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Who was listening????

Council Council Budget Information 2020

Who was listening????

Jun 28, 2020 Don Hill

Several ratepayers chose to speak to their submissions in the recent budget s233 process. This process is a legal requirement under the Local Government Act. Council cannot approve a Budget until they have given, AND CONSIDERED, responses from ratepayers.

After reviewing the live stream of this meeting I felt compelled to write a letter of complaint to the Administrators since in my opinion, and it should be self-evident from watching the 5 minutes that I spoke for, that at least two of the 3 administrators were not listening.

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Council

Budget Submission on Capital Works

Jun 24, 2020 Carpe Diem

These appear to be a means of pulling extra rates form the residents. In the past year Council had a substantial capital works budget. Some 6 months into the 2019-2020 year Council scrapped $1.8M of works. These were not just deferred but deleted altogether.

That is $1.8M that found its way into Council reserves without the approval of the ratepayers.

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Council

Council Refuses to discuss Topics they dont want to discuss in the s233 Budget Process

Jun 24, 2020 Don Hill

Council have changed the way that s233 submissions are treated if the following is anything to go on. It appears that if the project you wish to discus is not in the next 12 months works they will refuse to even discuss or consider the proposal unless of course, they do entertain the discussion. So one can only think that they will now only consider submissions under the local government act if they agree with them or are happy to have them discussed in open and transparent style.

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Council

Bald Hills Wind Farm V Council (Supreme Court)-DAY 1 Part Two

Jun 16, 2020 Carpe Diem

Next up was the cross examination of Mr Whalen by Georgia Costello SC, Council for the 5 residents in South Gippsland. Some facts that came out of this examination are that the Wind Farm was granted a permit in 2004 under the planning and environment act. Originally established by Mitzui it was later sold to Bald Hill Wind Farm in February 2017. Bald Hill Windfarm contract out the maintenance needs as well as the daily operations of the Windfarm to a group called Vestas.

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Council

Bald Hills Wind Farm V Council (Supreme Court)-DAY 2 part one

Jun 16, 2020 Carpe Diem

The first hour of day two was spent with lawyers for each side putting their final submissions and arguing various points of law and interpretations and what if scenarios repeating much of what was said on day one in various forms. For a non-legal person, this bit was dull although from a legal point of view quite necessary as each side tried to show the Justice towards their preferred interpretation of the law as it applied in this case.

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Council

Are Rural Dwellings Under Threat Again from Town Planning?

Jun 5, 2020 Carpe Diem

This policy was approved of by Council on August 28th, 2019 by the Administrators. Within the Planning Panel report on recommendation 13, it is stated:

“Council consider undertaking a fulsome review of Clauses 22.05 and 22.06 of the South Gippsland Planning Scheme pertaining to Rural dwellings and Rural subdivision to ensure their consistency with the Planning Policy Framework and established principles (including Planning Practice Notes) relating to the form and scope of a local planning policy. Agreed”. 

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