Monday 7 December 2015
THE MIRROR
Folio 3/ Issue 1/ Page One
Growing cost of inept planning Exchange during Public Questions at the December ordinary meeting of Palerang Council. John Mitchell. “At the October ordinary meeting Council resolved to seek a rezoning of part of the property at 12 Malbon Street, Bungendore, from business to public infrastructure (car park) to overcome the Council planners’ inept handling of the subdivision of the properties at 12 and 14 Malbon Street. The subdivision has left the Council owned 12 Malbon Street unsaleable and the privately owned 14 Malbon Street
unrestorable. “The impasse is causing a great deal of grief and expense to the private owners of 14 Malbon who have accrued $21,000 in holding costs over a 12 month period and paid $50,000 to solicitors, architects, planners and other consultants to try and unscramble the mess. “Palerang’s ratepayers, the owners of 12 Malbon, are also losers because, until the matter is sorted out, they are unable to sell their stranded asset. “What is the current position with the rezoning proposal?”
Mayor Harrison. “I believe I can say it is progressing.” Mr Mitchell. “Has it started?” Mayor Harrison. “I believe it has started.” Mr Mitchell. “Does it have any priority?” Mayor Harrison. “I can’t answer that question.” Mr Mitchell. “Needless to say any delay comes at a considerable cost to Palerang’s ratepayers.” General Manager Peter Bascomb. “It has a priority.” Mr Mitchell. “Any indication when it may come to Council?” Mr Bascomb. “No.”
Less and less Fit for the Future Comment by John Mitchell Palerang councillors have chosen to pick the low fruit in two resolutions taken at their December ordinary meeting. Both leave the Council well short of undertakings made in its Fit for the Future (FFTF) submission to the State Government, and cast further doubt on its commitment to becoming Fit for the Future. The authors of the Council’s FFTF submission boasted “Palerang’s LEP and DCP were developed entirely by Council’s planning staff.. [who also] assisted in the development of the Sydney-Canberra Corridor Regional Strategy..” Yet, when it came to consider a proposal for a rezoning of land on the east side of Bungendore village for a 780 lot residential development, the Council’s planners recommended, and the majority of councillors adopted, the least work option by
referring it for the State Government’s determination, in preference to consulting with its own community to see what they want, and then preparing its own planning proposal or determining that it will not support the applicant’s proposal. It begs the conclusion that Palerang’s planning department has neither the scale, capacity nor will, to to do their own planning. Later in the meeting the Council considered a special rate variation (SRV). A telephone poll taken as part of a $50,000 consultancy to sell the rate rise found that only 11.7% of respondents will wear the 9.5% per annum rate rise over five years that the Council needs, but that 34.5% will accept a more moderate rise of 6.5% and 53.8% want the rate to be capped at 2.5% cpi. Postal and online polls conducted at the same time
gave similar results. Council staff recommended that Council •advise the State Government of its intention to apply for 9.5% SRV •consult further with the community and •decide whether to proceed with the application at its February ordinary meeting. An alternative motion, calling for the Council to defer the rate rise until Palerang’s future has been clarified by the State Government and, in the meantime, pursue the efficiency savings through management restructure, promised in its FFTF submission, was rejected by the Council majority. Again, the Council majority have taken the easy way out but, unless they move quickly to deal with management reform and accountability, they will be in no position to be asking for a rate rise of 9.5% per annum over 5 years. And that will be the end of Palerang Council.