a law unto itself …
As with everything that council touches, its latest plans are long in promise & short on delivery, with plans to borrow millions more, reduce promised facilities & pursue further mindless development, as always without any consultation with airport business owners & the wider community.
Originally budgeted to cost taxpayers $7.8M in 2016, including a $1.2M contribution from ratepayers, the Airport Expansion Project costs have more than doubled to $16.2M, including a $3.2M contribution from ratepayers, but not including $4.62M for the estimated development costs of the General Aviation & Commercial Precinct, while there is no sign of some specific deliverables worth an estimated $900K.
Meanwhile, long vanished is a council ordered report on the need for the establishment of an Airport Advisory Committee. The production of that report was directed by the elected council via a resolution (460/11) adopted at its Ordinary Meeting held on November 29th, 2011, which read in part:
“Such report to explore the establishment of a committee comprising Council, tenant and aviation industry representatives to advise on the preparation of the Business Plan and Masterplan.”
On October 20th this year,
the BVSRRA wrote to council proposing action to establish an
Airport Advisory Committee following the failure of council management to comply with council’s 2011 resolution, after more than nine years had elapsed.
In response, council advised that the 2011 resolution had been "
superseded" by a further resolution adopted at its
Ordinary Meeting on June 8th, 2016 (99/16), notwithstanding that the latter made no mention of the earlier resolution or an
Airport Advisory Committee & specifically dealt with a "
Funding Announcement" relating to the airport.
The BVSRRA asks by what right the management of council can ignore a lawful direction issued by the elected council for nine years & then dishonestly attempt to excuse its behaviour by falsely claiming that its obligation had somehow been expunged by a totally unrelated resolution adopted some five years later?
The BVSRRA believes that council management is beyond the control of the elected council & acts recklessly & improperly in pursuit of its own ends, regardless of lawful directions issued by the elected council.
On August 19th, 2020,
the BVSRRA wrote to council regarding Item 3 of resolution 99/16 adopted by council at its
Ordinary Meeting of June 8th, 2016, that required council management
“to update the Merimbula Regional Airport Masterplan with the latest research and analysis, considering the altered forecasts surrounding this project and report back to Council for adoption.”
In response to its inquiry relating to outstanding correspondence, council last week advised the association that it had not received that letter.
Needless to say, council has been furnished with a copy of the letter & the association awaits its response as to what has happened to the updated Master Plan some four years after the elected council issued a lawful instruction for it to be completed.
The BVSRRA would like to know by what right the senior management of council can ignore a lawful direction issued by the elected council with apparent impunity.
It seems clear, just as it always has, that council management is a law unto itself & treats the elected council with the same contempt that it treats the majority of residents & ratepayers.
The BVSRRA believes that council’s general manager should be the subject of disciplinary action for ignoring lawful directions of the elected council & for misleading residents & ratepayers regarding those directions.
John Richardson
Secretary/Treasurer
Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association
Tel: 0264945669
Email: secretary@begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au
Website: http://www.begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au
