Council decisions can creep up on you! I found out through the grape vine (which shouldn’t really happen when it comes to major decisions for a community) that a decision was being made in Council to adopt a plan that would have, within the document, a recommendation to rezone the Raj Mahal property outside of Woolgoolga so that the Coles-Buildev development could essentially go ahead. As people may have read in my previous posts, I have been having some difficulty getting people interested in this issue to start some sort of group, or collective activity, with me. I have written some letters to Council in the mean time to express my own opinion, and with the hope of getting some more info on what is going on so as to entice people to join me! I'd appreciate any feedback about these letters (i.e. how to improve my letters to Council, and how to make sense of the reply to my letter). I'd also love to hear from anyone wishing to join me in further submissions.
The following is a copy of my letter to Council last week.
To Whom It May Concern at Coffs Harbour City Council,
I am a local resident of Woolgoolga. I moved to the area over four years ago, and was attracted by Woolgoolga’s unique feel- it is very different to many coastal towns in Australia. It was unfortunate to hear about the recent Coles-Buildev submission to rezone the Raj Mahal property. The shopping complex at Moonee Beach with a Coles supermarket continues to stand out as a poorly planned development and it never occurred to me that a similar plan would be proposed only ten minutes away.
A Coles shopping centre complex has major implications for local residents and business owners in Woolgoolga. The introduction of monopolistic chain stores on the outskirts of towns has negative implications for local businesses and employment opportunities, which has been well documented. The mono-cultural development that has been taking place along the East Coast of Australia currently makes Woolgoolga stand out as a unique destination for future residents, tourists and businesses and it is such qualities that offer opportunities for our future development. Such development should take place with the involvement of people local to Woolgoolga, with a commitment to this town and its future. The Council should actively seek meaningful consultation with the community before rezoning the Raj Mahal site. I have looked at the Coffs Harbour City Council website regularly and have noted the statement that you are “committed to encouraging public participation in Council's decision-making processes” and that you value the importance of engaging with the local community as this “assists Council to learn as much as possible about community needs, opinions and options prior to decisions being made”.
For an issue as important and contentious as the proposed rezoning, I believe community planning forums (as recommended by Mike Day, a leading Melbourne planner, at a recent public meeting) or community visioning workshops (which is a recognised format for community participation in development world-wide) should be considered by Council prior to making a decision on this issue. These needn’t be costly exercises, but it requires a commitment to ensuring that local people have a say in the way Woolgoolga develops into the future, so that decisions are not made for us by corporate enterprises not committed to this locality.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback relating to the Council’s position on rezoning the Raj Mahal property, and what plans are in place to ensure public participation on this issue.
Yours Sincerely,
Desley
I received the following reply to my letter:
Hello Desley
The Employment Lands Strategy (ELS) deals, amongst other matters, with the possible future commercial zones of places such as Woolgoolga.
The strategy was publicly exhibited for a 3 month period late last year/early this year.
The strategy is a document informed by 14 years of community consultation since the Council’s (1996) master plan for Woolgoolga.
Numerous studies, working parties and public consultation opportunities have been carried out over that period of time.
The ELS is being reported to Council 13 May 2010 for a decision of whether or not to adopt it to guide the new local environmental plan (which deals with zonings and land uses).
The new plan is currently being prepared and is likely to be placed on public exhibition later this year. The community with have further opportunity, at the time of public exhibition of the draft plan, to comment on the draft zonings.
The report to Council on the ELS can be viewed on http://www.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/www/html/4549-business-papers--council-resolutions---2010.asp .
I hope this assists with your enquiry
Regards
C.T
Manager Land Use Planning CHCC
Friday, May 14, 2010
Letters to Council
Posted by *Desley* at 3:53 PM
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7 comments:
I have left a comment on this at the Discussion Board, which you will no doubt read. But also, here is a link to a group which opposes a new McDonalds restaurant at Yamba.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NO-to-McDonalds-in-YAMBA/107659719254613
Facebook groups get a lot of groundswell support, and you definitely capture the youth demographic. You might want to start your own group on Facebook. You might also be inspired by some of the things discussed there.
Des.........
They can't even proof read their reply?
The community ((((with)))) have further opportunity, at the time of public exhibition of the draft plan, to comment on the draft zonings.
Council rejects second McDonald's
The Orange City Council has unanimously rejected a proposal for a second McDonald's restaurant.
Developers wanted to build it on the site of the Anita Motel on Dalton Street at the western entrance to Orange.
Residents and a nearby school had raised concerns.
Mayor John Davis says traffic was the major issue.
"No matter what that site's used for now or into the future, it'll always come back to traffic and the traffic study or the lack of information in regards to traffic made it that the council could not approve it," he said.
The traffic is all bullshit, the main reason it was stopped was people power from Orange High School, they didn't want it there as the kids would be there more than at school......
We have had a heap of rejections here for all sorts of new developments, we are lucky that we are in one area, not like Woopi where the Coffs Council seems like all they are after is the good old $$$$$$$ like most councils, our council here let the City grow so large the past 10 years our town dam that usually is full is now at 23% & we are on level 5 water restriction, we have to limit our usage to around 150 litres a day each but they still keep passing new home development plans by the dozens a month?
We all think that the Council here has lost the plot, you can speak to just about anyone & they all say Orange is getting to big now the council needs to slow down the development going on.
I find that people power is the only way you can stop that development in Woopi, when we visit you & drive past the other Coles on the way to Woopi all we ever see is a empty car park & an ugly shopping centre on the highway, so now they want to do the same thing in Woopi?
Don't worry about all the small shops in the main part of town let them all die like what happens in all towns when a large company moves in, to me it seems like all the council wants is more money from rates off the site.
I know it's an eyesore at the moment which is a shame, but to build another Coles like the one back 10km on the highway just seems dumb to me when that one seems to never have any customers.
So Des it's the people of Woopi you should be trying to muster, surely they have shopped at coles & seen the prices they charge are not cheap, we find here that Coles would be the dearest shop in town to buy anything from.
Cheers
Steve
Les,you letter seems fine to me in regards to addressing the issue and putting forward a good argument. Its a pity the council didn't even acknowledge many of the points you raised - especially the recommendation from Mr Mike Day. It does make you wonder what fingers council has in the Coles pie regarding benefits they receive - when the community seems to loose out on so much local business, employment and general atmosphere of Woolgoolga.
Good Luck with Les!
Thanks for your post Theresa,
I'll have a look at the Yamba website as soon as I can. It will be good to see how others are getting together to fight off big corporations like Maccas.
Thanks heaps, Des
Hey Steve,
Orange sounds pretty active in their community issues. It's good to know they can make a difference- except for the massive developments that Council pushes for when therer isn't even enough water! It's weird, because so many people I've talked to say that they don't want the development to go ahead, but when you read the newspaper the Council and the local Residence Association all say that the community has been consulted with and that "so many people" agree with the plan. I agree, it's bullshit. I reckon if they did propper consultaiton they'd find that there are a lot of people opposed to the idea. So... you're right, I have to try and connect up with others to make that perspective more obvious. I'm thinking a petition or something. What do you reckon?
Hey Rob,
That's what I thought as well. I wasn't really sure what to even write back. In the end I wrote pretty much the same letter, only tweeked a little, to several of the Councillors voting on the issue. I don't think my letter would have been forwarded on to them for some reason! A lot of the Councillors have no emotional or other commitment to Woolgoolga as they are from Coffs Harbour or other towns around the area. There was only one Councillor who voted against the ELP and rezoning last Thursday, and that was Kerry Hines- who acknowledged that previous developments in the Coffs area have split towns in half (destroying the CBD, even in Coffs Harbour). But when there is only one sensible thinker on a panel, even that doesn't change anything. In terms of your "fingers in the pie" comment, interestingly enough there are real estate agents and family-members of property owners on Council... lots of conflicts of interest in my opinion.
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