DEAR News Of The Area,

IT IS amazing how fast our current Mayor and Councillors have learnt the bad habits of the previous Council.

Most of us will remember how the previous Mayor and four Councillors totally disregarded a huge petition and widespread public opposition to building the Council’s new headquarters above a library and art gallery.

They listened only to the small group who agreed with their plan and put us in debt for $80,000,000.

Our current Council, led by a Mayor and Deputy Mayor who have the numbers and are strongly opposed to any significant development of the Jetty Foreshores, are repeating the previous Council’s mistakes.

Extensive research has shown that there is majority support for responsible, balanced development, which would inject some life into this area.

The majority of Councillors consistently ignore this fact and listen only to a vocal minority, which includes many of the residents fortunate enough to live near the harbour.

Council’s recent offer to spend $6,700,000 of ratepayers’ money to buy a key parcel of foreshores land is a classic example of spending our money on their pet project.

Of course, there was no public consultation prior to this offer.

What the Mayor didn’t mention in last week’s NOTA article was that if Council could buy the land it wanted, it would be a major blow to the proposed harbour foreshores master plan and that’s really what this whole scheme was about.

This is the same Council which last year cut $55,000,000 from the works budget, and also cancelled a number of popular community projects for which grants had been received.

Fortunately there’s an election this year.

So do we really want to put the Coucillors supporting this latest extravagance back in power?

Regards,
Patrick WALTERS,
Coffs Harbour.