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Collapse Issue 516:<br />6 Apr 2021<br />_____________Issue 516:
6 Apr 2021
_____________
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Two-year delay in dredging decision announcement
Ettalong channel decision long overdue, says Tesch
Comment sought on Esplanade shared zone design
Tesch welcomes State dredging of Ettalong channel
Residents 'should reclaim standing' in planning process
Minimal feedback sought on intersection plans
Help wanted to restore folding bikes
Three townhouse gun-barrel development proposed
Group calls for submissions on design and place policy
Save Our Woy Woy submits objection on Farnell Rd
Environment group decides 'priority actions'
Subdivision recommended for Mrs Wilson's shop site
Comment on nothing?
Submissions raise 14 issues with intersection plans
Council to proceed with paid foreshore parking
Tesch welcomes easing of restrictions
Bookings open for Seniors Festival activities
Emergency planning workshop for seniors
Expired flares collected at Lions Park
Headsets provided for music therapy
Food drive for Coast Shelter
Tesch suggests groups apply for women's sport grants
Church newsletter suggests supporting Mingaletta
Morning tea for Rotary women
Lack of debate on petition draws criticism from Tesch
Marine Rescue offers radio licence course
Titanic Dinner is 'well on track'
Raffle tickets and auction bids available despite sell-out
New signboard for St John's church?
Helping with flood clean-up
Fundraising event for Rotary project in Uganda
Accommodation booked out for Easter
Different activity each day in imagination zone
Third wettest month in 16 years
Collapse  FORUM FORUM
Stop the sham of 'public exhibition'
Concern at secret parking meters proposal
Pretend consultation while secret decisions are made
Collapse  HEALTH HEALTH
Hospital walls decorated with colouring-in
Collapse  ARTS ARTS
Another sold-out concert at the Troubadour folk club
Children's leaf artwork workshop at Woy Woy library
Ephemeral art entries close on Monday
Writers' Festival announces six featured authors
Guitar concert planned for Pearl Beach
Blues music brought to Ettalong
Art works on display in Ettalong
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
Historic first student win in annual volleyball tournament
New mural at Woy Woy South
Parents told of need for Working with Children checks
School disco raises $1740
Parents' group elects new committee
Teachers take part in Connecting to Country course
School leaders attend young leaders' conference
Touch football win
Reading on 25 nights
Libraries resume Storytime sessions
School publishes strategic plan
Charli calls for nominations to Minister's Student Council
Targeted well-being programs support 45 students
School motto resonates with mural artist
Steps to access support from external providers
Collapse  SPORT SPORT
Unicycle hockey team starts at community centre
Novice bridge championship results
Cricket players win association awards
Junior cricketers receive association awards
Footy Bowls Day attracts 80 bowlers
John Goddard awarded life membership
Free skateboard building workshop at Woy Woy oval
Boat crews win their sections in regional series
Umina bowls results
Touch players make NSW Catholic championships
Delay in championship bowls schedule
Netball results
Inflatable obstacle course for school holidays
Ourimbah to play Lions in first rugby union round
Sets of bowls go missing
Netball teams make it to Hunter League finals
Umina wins two out of three pennant games
Bridge club to hold four red point events this month
Touch association to hold annual meeting
Ettalong bowlers represent zone

EXTRA!!!

Stop the sham of 'public exhibition'

At the last Council meeting the Administrator, who for the moment is the Council, expressed surprise at the lack of any speakers at the Public Forum, except one who appeared at the last moment.

To me it's a clear case of the public "voting with their feet".

Surely it's time to end this pretence of involving the community in decisions that affect them.

For years we've had to put up with a Council whose meetings resembled, at times, The Mad Hatters Tea Party; culminating in the arrival of the schoolmasterly figure of Mr Persson to put a stop to all the nonsense.

Almost unnoticed, the planning situation has gone from bad to worse with some truly bizarre decisions being imposed on the community.

The Hillview Nursing Home is one example, where a decision by one planning officer was inexplicably reversed by another.

No explanation to the community as to how or why.

Now it seems that developers merely have to wave a list of "precedents" in the council's face to be granted permission to break virtually every rule in the LEP and DCP and concrete over the landscape to their heart's content.

There's been much criticism of certain overseas authoritarian regimes in the media comparing them unfavourably with Australia's democracy.

However at least these overseas regimes are honest.

They don't pretend to give the community a say.

For a while now, it's been quite obvious that state and local governments are hell bent on "expediting" their own agenda by limiting community involvement.

The so-called Low-Rise Housing Diversity Code is a clear example of this.

This not so hidden agenda is based on the conviction that the Australian economy should be based on mass immigration and housing.

No less a person than Bob Carr has described this as a crazy idea but the bureaucratic machine grinds on.

At a local government level, we can see the effects of this in various ways.

One is the pathetic pretence at "public exhibition" of major development applications.

DA060666 is a current example.

This is a "second bite at the cherry" application for a site comprising five formerly separate properties located at the intersection of Blackwall and Farnell Rds.

Like the successful Hillview St nursing home application, it is based on outdated documents that no longer apply.

The situation will gradually get worse as developers realise they can get away with it.

It can only be stopped by the community telling Council loudly and clearly to either stop the sham of "public exhibition" completely or to make sure it's done properly.





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