Voice News
12th September
Proposed Sale of 69 McLachlan Street
Thank you to everyone who signed the petition to stop the COS proceeding with the sale. The petitions have been collected and submitted to Council in the required time to be tabled at the 27 September Council meeting in Colac. There appear to be over 800 signatures in total.
Letters have been sent to State Ministers for assistance to pressure Council to pause the sale of the property, to allow for engagement with community. The needs for affordable housing and childcare are pertinent to the sustainability of our community and relevant to consider before the sale of an asset that could offer some solution.
You can help by phoning Councillors before 27 September. Stress the potential the site offers, ask them to pause the sale and to engage with the community. Circumstances and housing affordability are different to 2 years ago when the last required community engagement was carried out. What harm is there for Council to pause for 6 weeks to discuss possible options with the community?
GORCAPA
We have been advocating for the community by questioning whether GORCAPA has followed due process in the roll out of the Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve Draft Master Plan. GORCAPA has assured that all community submissions have been acknowledged and responses have been sent to any queries received. The results of the surveys are available on their website.
Having observed and received many grievances, we pursued the issue of the discontinuation of 12 Month Permit holders (TMPs). The way GORCAPA handled and communicated this process was both disappointing and avoidable. Unfortunately, Government Policy, in existence since 2011 (pre GORCAPA) provides the land manager with the right to refuse to renew 12 month permits. Policy Statement Improving Equity of Access to Crown Land Caravan and Camping Parks 2011 Page 10 states that “The site is hired for 12-month tenure and there should be no expectation of a term beyond the yearly agreement.”
The decision to cease issuing 12-month permits should not have been tied to the Draft Master Plan as it was NOT negotiable and was separate to the Draft Master Plan process. Andy Mathers, Director Commercial & Tourism, agrees that “this policy could have been communicated more effectively.” He concedes that “The impact of the 2011 Government Policy is outside the remit of the draft Masterplan, and while community feedback on the draft was strongly welcomed, they remain two separate issues.”
GORCAPA will take this on board when drafting Master Plans for other communities along the coast and when considering the status of permits for other camping grounds under their jurisdiction. We also communicated these issues to Great Ocean Road Communities Network (GORCN) raising awareness for other coastal communities and caravan parks on the Great Ocean Road. It certainly highlights the importance of proper communication in the implementation of policy.
In other news, we now have a Facebook page so follow us on social media. We have had some discussion regarding Council management of community assets and will be researching how Council owned halls are managed and used across the Shire.
We must stress that as a newly formed group of nearly 300 members, we cannot guarantee achieving results when we take on an issue but do our best to represent and advocate for the broader group of community members.
Regards
Jane Gross
President
For more information please email apollobayvoice(at)gmail.com.