Fitzroy Boulting - 28 August 2018

Fitzroy Boulting addressed Council regarding completion of prior petition presentation at the Ordinary Council Meeting 28 August 2018.

Eurobodalla Shire Council Sitting 28 AUGUST 2018

Agenda running-order: Public Access

Good morning Councillors,

My name is Fitzroy Boulting.

As a resident of Turlinjah, and on behalf of the community of both it and Tuross Head, with Tuross Head Progress Association's formal authorisation, I am now privileged by my Community to be able to complete this unfinished Presentation which accompanied lodgement of the Community Petition at Council's previous Meeting.

As a matter of courtesy, following the exemplar and convention of our National Parliament, may I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Australia and of our Shire, and their ancient connection to Land and Community. I pay respect to them and to their cultures, and to their Elders both past and present.

On behalf of THPA and the Community, I now conclude the final part of the Petition's four principal concerns, notwithstanding Cllrs Constable, McGinlay, and Mayne's kind support, which they may rest assured will be fully remembered by the community, which remained unpresented at the previous Meeting due to Council majority being unwilling to extend the discretionary extra time available.

That final of the four concerns presented in the Petition, reads as follows:

"Increased and compromised Fire Risk Management”:

RFS' strong concerns about the extent and nature of what Council has proposed in the Amended LEP 2012. We draw Council's urgent attention to the substantial financial liabilities to which this potentially exposes Eurobodalla Shire rate-payers, in both individual and class action categories, by failing to fully address those concerns. The main responsibility for discharge of DUTY OF PUBLIC CARE has now been explicitly placed upon Council in terms of compliance with the Risk and Safety Audit contained in RFS' formal assessment, in effect a Notice of Warning. This is no small matter.”

A very publicly posted extract from RFS' recent letter to Council of 28 June 2018 in every way endorses community's deepest concerns:  "It is the position of the NSW RFS that the                                                                                   exhibited Planning Proposal is not consistent with s117(2) 4.4 Direction as it does not achieve the primary objective TO PROTECT LIFE, PROPERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT and the NSW RFS considers that it should NOT proceed in its current form".

“In consequence, we (the undersigned) believe that the Amended LEP 2012 MUST be immediately withdrawn and appropriately redrafted:

• To properly comply with the technical objections of all the (relevant State) authorities
• To reflect in much more balanced fashion the wishes of all shire residents
• Whilst ensuring that no existing rights or interests will be diminished by extending this process”

I can only counsel one thing with certainty: Disregard of the Community's wholly proper concerns, as reflected in its Petition, may almost certainly be counted upon to generate both a profound discord with and a terminal distrust of its Council which may become impossible to repair. Patently, this is in neither party's best interests.

Please remember: The people of Tuross Head and Turlinjah:

1: Have long memories: (and after the disgrace of Council's "Tuscany in the South" in 2000, and a recent 2016 attempt to recategorize Lot 77 of the Heritage Grazing Lands, only stopped by the Mayor's intervention, why wouldn't they?

2: {They) Are watching Council's every move like hawks.

3: And, be assured, they VOTE!

The remedy and the solution, Councillors, is entirely in your hands and yours alone.

On the Community's behalf we thank Councillors for their consideration of this matter.

(finis)