Respect for others is critical

I respond to the forum article by Tim Haylor in Peninsula News, January 9.

I will defer to his knowledge in regards to rhinos on steroids, however, the following are the facts that were misrepresented in this article.

There was no pre-determined outcome as stated.

Council decided the application after the site inspection, with the benefit of hearing and seeing firsthand the community's views.

The determination was about rezoning the land, not about approving restaurants of any sort, regardless of who owned the land.

Council directly notifies all adjacent property owners in writing, however, not every resident in a street or suburb.

Council also advertises all rezonings publically in the paper and at the local libraries.

From my personal point of view the majority of people in attendance at the site inspection conducted themselves appropriately and respected everyone else's right to ask questions and have an opinion.

Clearly some others felt they had the right to attempt to dominate the question time and prevent others from seeking answers to their questions.

Some were blatantly rude and showed no respect for anyone in attendance by way of their conduct.

It is a shame that this sort of incident is on the rise at site inspections as it robs the public of an opportunity to seek answers directly of the applicant and the council officers.

People are disinclined to engage in the decision making process when some attendees want to bully and be rude to others, no matter who they represent or what their view is.

As the chairman of these meetings, I try to ensure all people who want to ask questions can.

With over 50 people in attendance who are passionate about a number of issues, it is critical that all respect others and follow appropriate protocol.

I hope that when the DA is lodged that all the community feels welcome to participate and not be marginalised by the process or the conduct of others.

Online submission, 17 Jan 2012 Craig Doyle, Wamberal