The saga continues...
Council continues to maintain its stance for a proposed DA for a 6 storey commercial complex on the Bath Street foreshore site, with no community consultation until the DA is lodged, probably around the end of this year or next year. What this means is that a protracted campaign seems likely. 
Because of the concerted efforts of the TFPG over almost a year (via freedom of information), council have recently released several documents that it claimed were too ‘commercially sensitive’ to be provided earlier. These documents pertain to potential commercial development of the northern section of the Toronto foreshore, including the Bath Street site. They include consultant’s environmental constraints, traffic study and stakeholder engagement reports. To our great disappointment, the feasibility study report and architectural drawings were so heavily redacted as to make them pretty much useless. Nevertheless some interesting information can be gleaned and we are continuing to liaise with council staff concerning issues raised in these reports.
In the mean time, the best opportunity for members of the community who oppose council’s stance is to write directly to your west ward or all councillors as well as council’s general manager and voice your concerns and also suggest constructive, alternative uses for this land. This can be by email and/or via posted or hand delivered letter (hand written letter is often effective). Contact details and other information on tfpg.org.au. Letters to the editor are another good opportunity for comment as is strategically-positioned signage!
CARING BY COMMENTING
In 1839 Edward Bulwer-Lyntton coined the phrase ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ referring to advocacy being more effective than violence. Little did he know at the time that it was going to be the touchstone for getting a message through to our local Council.Our Council loves to feel the love of a good letter, once your letter goes in it’s on record and the Councillors that are there to represent the community have the community comments to back them up. It’s also a numbers game, when quite a few letters get sent the issue escalates up the chain of command, eventually coming to the attention of the decision wielders at a council meeting.
For really big issues Council’s media machine kicks in with glossy brochures of half truths to quell community concerns, talking points for councillors who don’t want to listen to the community and a strategy designed to frustrate and deliver community exhaustion, if the Bath St proposal is anything to go by.
In the West Ward we haven’t been served particularly well over the past few year by some of our councillors, do you remember when we lost one for a year, it seems now we’ve lost two. At the moment it feels like the West Ward is being grossly underrepresented again. Efforts by the Toronto Foreshore Protection Group to meet with all four West Ward Councillors have been unsuccessful. Clrs Harrison and Pauling have been willing to meet and correspond and hear the concerns of the people they were elected to represent, Clr Belcher and Cubis have not event bothered to reply to correspondence let alone meet their constituents.
Whilst it is frustrating to be ignored it is critical not to be worn down by the stalling, manipulative tactics employed to diffuse community concern about local injustice.
More than ever it is important comment, to write a letter to the Councillors and the Council, it doesn’t have to be long. Council has recently made a decision to not accept online petitions so it’s long-form letters and hard copy pen & paper petitions from now on.
Our West Ward Councillors
- Luke Cubis: lcubis@lakemac.nsw.gov.au
- David Belcher: dbelcher@lakemac.nsw.gov.au
- Jason Pauling: jpauling@lakemac.nsw.gov.au
- Wendy Harrison: wharrison@lakemac.nsw.gov.au
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