Tavern process a waste of resources

In reply to Vic Jefferies' letter ("Tavern could have been built years ago") appearing in your paper of October 7, I wish to express our support for your reporting and disagree with the many opinions expressed by Mr Jefferies.

His views are factually wrong and decidedly biased.

In point of fact, the last submission to the council to amend the original plans was finally recommended by its officers and through the democratic process approved by the majority of councillors.

Further, a detailed analysis of the claimed "54 objections" by Mr Jefferies is equally untrue.

Someone, in the cloak of the night, distributed a "scare sheet" to every resident in Patonga making false claims as to what the proposed amendments were.

Most of the so-called objectors restricted their comments to the false claims which had nothing to do with our amendments sought.

In reality, excluding the irrelevant furphies, the number of submissions in support of the proposed changes significantly outnumbered objections by a factor of about 10 to one.

What Mr Jefferies refers to as "expanded trading area" was a change of use from a one-bedroom residential amenity to a dining room for the approved bistro.

Following the death of our father some years ago, for whom the area was designed and originally approved, we have endeavoured for several years now to make better use of that area for our patrons.

The size is about the same as two normal dining rooms in your average house.

I would have thought that this was a reasonable request but Mr Jefferies and his political supporters on council used every trick in the book to oppose this minor change.

For anyone who has been to Patonga, it would be most obvious that there is more parking available for the two small businesses here than any other location in the Gosford municipality.

The position of our opponents, led by Mr Jefferies, has caused inordinate delays and the waste of substantial monies in consultant fees and legals not to mention ratepayers' monies.

It has cost our family company around $140,000 before a brick has been laid.

I find this a shocking and shameful waste of resources and a sad indictment of Gosford Council when one ponders the other social problems in our area not being attended to.

We are but one small business on the Central Coast. If you cared to multiply that cost by hundreds or even thousands, it gives your readers a good idea of the magnitude of social and economic waste, dollars and jobs, this council has cost us all.

Cr Cook quoted $7 million wasted in Council consultant and legal fees during its term and that is only the tip of the iceberg.

The saving of a fraction of these costs would have seen the Peninsula's Leisure Centre and swimming pool, for instance, built by now.

Indeed, positive negotiation with developers and others should have generated far more than $7 million in public benefits.

Instead, the project is moribund and council is now seeking amendments to its own plans to try to save costs.

Finally, we take this opportunity to thank the majority of councillors who have supported this development and the majority wishes of residents.

Robert Osborne, Patonga