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Collapse Issue 526:<br />23 Aug 2021<br />_____________Issue 526:
23 Aug 2021
_____________
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Four residents test positive to Covid-19
Tesch calls for 'case transparency'
Elderly first jab rate may be 80 per cent in Umina
Report assesses marina site contamination
Ettalong Diggers acknowledges Vietnam Veterans' Day
Free grocery pick-up and delivery for seniors
Old pipes cause tree root invasion, says GUST
'Plenty of time to read as many books as you can'
Toastmasters hold regular online meetings
Woy Woy Rotary hears about Coast Shelter
Innovative fundraiser at Pearl Beach
Rotary club hears from Local Member
Making quilts while apart
Deferral sought of infrastructure contribution reform
Senate inquiry into local doctor shortage
Double standards on coronavirus, says Tesch
Central Coast becomes its own Covid region
The Peninsula has another dry month
Collapse  PLANNING PLANNING
Council censors objectors' submissions
Heritage shop subdivision approved
Former panel member urges use of draft controls
Development application claims to be compliant
Objections lodged
Mantra roof leaks repair approval given
Three-unit development proposed for Railway St
Application for boom gates on supermarket carpark
Report lists five approvals with planning variations
Collapse  FORUM FORUM
Hold council to account for infrastructure we need
Cash from reserve sale is not significant to Council
Ettalong rezoning is part of the planning pandemic
Greener places - why not start with trees already there?
Collapse  HEALTH HEALTH
Aged care home residents to be relocated to Umina
Supporting health care in Uganda
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Troubadour folk club cancels August concert
Jazz in Spring planned for arboretum
Coastal Twist becomes a summer festival
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
Science experiments added to online video series
Local Member thanks teachers
Parents asked to fill in survey
Limited access to Ettalong school
School uses online video with students for first time
Collapse  SPORT SPORT
Junior cricket coaches announced
Little athletics plans October start
New path between surf club and precinct
Executive decides to end netball season
Softball club hopes to increase number of teams
Bunnies season ends

Council censors objectors' submissions

Central Coast Council has censored submissions opposing a three-storey development at 75 Brickwharf Rd, Woy Woy, according to one objector.

The censorship has resulted in detail being removed or obscured by "redaction" of parts of two objections, according to Mr Frank Wiffen of Woy Woy.

He said a substantial point in his own submission was initially "redacted" by council staff.

Mr Wiffen's submission objected to the lack of shadow diagrams in the documents available with the development application on the council website.

In their absence, Mr Wiffen provided his own shadow diagrams.

However, a part of his explanation of the impact of the shadowing of neighbouring properties was deleted.

Mr Wiffen said he challenged the redaction and his full submission was later published on the council website.

He said that, had he not challenged the redaction, the censored version which affected the strength of his submission would have remained on the council website.

Mr Wiffen said he was concerned with another submission, where council staff had removed in its entirety one of the two reasons given for the objection.

No explanation was given on the council website for the "redaction".

"Council staff should not be changing or suppressing objections of the community to development proposals," he said.

"The process should be open and transparent.

"Procedural fairness should require that the community has the opportunity to express its views without interference.

"It should be remembered that the purpose of the public exhibition of development applications is to give the community the opportunity to consider the merits of a proposal.

"Access to the full submissions of others is an important part of that consideration.

"Censorship should only occur in extreme cases, and where it occurs it should be explained.

"Redaction of the substance of objections to development applications only further undermines the current low level of community confidence in the operation of Central Coast Council.

"People can reasonably infer that council staff are attempting to manipulate the process and its outcome when censorship of this nature occurs, even if that is not the intention.

"In public administration, it is not only important that justice is done, but that it is seen to be done," Mr Wiffen said.





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