Questions for the Big Mac

I remain bitter and twisted about the process that concluded with the approval of a McDonalds fast food franchise on Ocean Beach Rd, Umina.

Gosford Council has acknowledged that Umina residents were second class citizens who were not entitled to participate in any planning process associated with their quality of life, population density of the Peninsula, environmental conditions, character of their neighbourhood or local traffic conditions.

The explanation provided by the Big Mac (formerly known as the mayor) and the eight accompanying Cheeseburgers (formerly known as councillors) has been grossly inadequate and I have been unable to find any publications along the lines of An Idiots Guide to Gosford Council or Gosford Council Procedures for Dummies to assist my understanding of the process.

The residents of Umina deserve a detailed explanation to fully understand when, how and why we reached the point where our elected officials concluded "there is nothing we can do" because "the boxes have all been ticked".

A beautifully scripted response but somewhat lacking in detail.

A full post mortem is required although a full investigation by an appropriately qualified, independent and empowered entity would be more appropriate.

At this point I am particularly interested in the time line.

I recall attending a farcical Christmas Pantomime (site inspection) late last year.

We gathered on the land owned by McDonalds and were informed by the presiding cheeseburger that rezoning the land was in no way related to approval of a fast food franchise.

If I wasn't there I wouldn't have believed it.

I swear this is true.

There are other witnesses.

Incidentally, the presiding cheeseburger campaigned at the last Council election under the self-proclaimed title of the Road Warrior.

A month after the election he forgot about being a road warrior and voted for traffic mayhem on the already overcrowded streets of Umina.

The information provided by this cheeseburger and his accompanying cheeseburgers, last year was, in my opinion, contradicted by the Gosford Council Agenda ENV.49, June 5 as published in the Peninsula News under the heading "Council moves away from spot rezoning".

The fifth paragraph of the council agenda item stated: "The Council's recent support for changes that would permit a McDonalds fast food outlet in Umina was an example."

Raise your hand if you have any questions.

1) What change occurred between the Christmas Pantomime of 2011 and publication of the Gosford Council Agenda ENV.49, June 5?

2) Is June 5 the point where the fast food franchise became inevitable and our elected officials became impotent?

3) Did the cheeseburgers misrepresent the facts to the residents who attended the 2011 Christmas Pantomime?

4) Is it reasonable for residents of Umina to assume that, based on the document Gosford Council Agenda ENV.49, June 5, Gosford Council intended to approve the fast food franchise on Ocean Beach Rd and that any actions taken after June 5 was mere window dressing directed towards ensuring that all the boxes got a tick, whether they deserved it or not?

5) Is it fair to say that Gosford Council engages residents in a process called "community consultation", not because they are interested in the community's opinion, but because they need to tick the box marked Community Consultation?

6) When the council stated that there was "nothing we can do" as "the boxes have been ticked" did they mean that council staff presented the DA and associated research in such a manner that the decision was taken away from our elected officials?

Alternatively, did they mean that they could do something but they didn't want to?

It would be nice to receive a detailed reply from the Big Mac, one of the ordinary cheeseburgers or even a citizen with knowledge and insight of what did or didn't happen during the rezoning and approval of the fast food franchise's development application.

The questions above are not the end of the saga.

There are many questions to follow.

While I'm waiting for answers I will do my best to comply with the recent suggestion from the editor of the Express Advocate.

His editorial urged residents to get behind the new Council and the new general manager.

I will be right behind them.

I will give them the push they deserve.

However, I do require assistance to lure them to edge of a precipice.

Email, 27 Nov 2012

Tim Haylor, Umina