SUN CITY NEWS OVALS UPDATE EXCLUSIVE Thursday 16 May 2013
Phone: (08) 9561 2500
At a special meeting of the City of Wanneroo council held just over a month ago, the council unanimously resolved ‘that administration recommence negotiations with Yanchep Beach Joint Venture to finalise the Deed of Agreement for the early delivery of the Yanchep Active Open Space (YAOS) project within three months’.
The Sun City News can report that Mayor Tracey Roberts, and Acting Chief Executive Officer Dennis Blair, attended a meeting with Yanchep Beach Joint Venture (YBJV). This meeting was followed by another meeting with the Mayor, Cr Ian Goodenough and YBJV management. The Sun City News has acquired copies of YBJV and City of Wanneroo correspondence which states “that YBJV was prepared to be open-minded in the interests of the community who have been disadvantaged as a direct result of recent events. . . YBJV will nevertheless need to be convinced that the City of Wanneroo has a genuine commitment to the project and will negotiate in good faith.” The YBJV letter also states: “After discussing the terms of your (City of Wanneroo) request, I hereby
www.suncitynews.com.au
advise that YBJV is prepared to consider the City’s invitation to recommence negotiations via legal representation subject to the City of Wanneroo undertaking the following actions.”
In summary the actions are: terminate the Charnwood Park proposal and withhold investigating any other location within Yanchep - Two Rocks; resubmit the appropriate applications for amenities at YAOS; guarantee the YAOS project will be funded from the Developers Contribution Plan; agree to recommence negotiation on the draft Deed of Agreement as per the 16 October 2012 council resolution; and commit to share with YBJV by way of a confidential briefing, the findings of the independent internal audit related to the YAOS project. YBJV’s letter to the Acting CEO concluded by stating: “The YBJV Board seeks a positive outcome for the community which is why it is prepared to resume talks. It is however cautious and notes that the outcomes of the audit into the City’s decision-making processes will not be known for some time. YBJV therefore requests a genuine, irrevocable and undivided commitment by the City of Wanneroo (including both the administration and council) to
jointly developing the ovals at Yanchep.” A week later, the City of Wanneroo Acting CEO, Dennis Blair responded: “These five
conditions applicable to YBJV resuming negotiations to finalise the Deed of Agreement cannot be addressed administratively and a report will be presented to
Council at its meeting on 28 May 2013 for resolution.” Photo: Copies of YBJV and City of Wanneroo correspondence sent to the Sun City News
Candidates start to surface The upcoming local council elections are just over 20 weeks away and candidates are starting to make themselves known within their communities.
Cr Gray said she would stand and run a ‘soft’ campaign, if she got elected, that would be okay, if she lost, that’d be okay too.
Over the past three weeks, four candidates have indicated their intention to stand for the North Ward in the City of Wanneroo election.
Nowergup resident, Sabine Winton, announced last Friday that she would be a candidate for the North Ward - “I have decided to stand for the council elections in the North Ward.”
Incumbent North Ward councillor, Laura Gray, told the Sun City News, over a month ago, she intended to stand again.
The Sun City News also understands ex Mayor, Jon Kelly, is possibly running and Linda
Aitken, Liberal candidate for Butler at the last state election could be running too.
has been calling Donnybrook home and operating a new business venture in the region.
The electors of the North Ward look like they are going to be spoilt for choice.
Also in the Coastal Ward, there will be one new councillor due to incumbent Cr Ian Goodenough seeking election for the Federal Government electorate of Moore.
In the City of Wanneroo’s Coastal Ward, the community is hoping Cr Robert’ Bob’ Smithson, who was re-elected for four years in 2011, will resign so a more dedicated person can be elected to represent the community. Over the past 12 months, Cr Smithson
Cr Rudi Steffens who has been a City of Wanneroo councillor since 1999, hasn’t yet indicated his intentions for the 2013 council elections.
Five councillors at the Shire of Gingin are up for reelection in October - Crs Glenn Rule, Ian ‘Sam’ Collard, Val Ammon, David Roe, Michael Aspinal and Reginald Beale. To date, none of the incumbent Gingin councillors have indicated their intentions for the upcoming election. There is no mayoral election, this year at the City of Wanneroo. At the Shire of Gingin, the elected councillors elect their shire president for a two year period.