It wasn’t what was discussed at last week’s Council meeting that has a few locals riled up, it was what wasn’t discussed.
The Newey Reserve Draft Plan of Management, listed as item 4 on the agenda, was expected to be debated and decided. Seven local residents (five of whom had made submissions on the Plan of Management) attended the meeting keen to see the outcome.
Following the public exhibition period, Council received 23 submissions. In response, the staff recommendation was to delete item 2D from the plan: ‘To provide designated parking bays for self-contained vehicles such as caravans and campervans within the Public Recreation and Day Use Precinct.
However, prior to any discussion on the matter, Mayor Jarrod Marsden noted that councillors had only received the full 105 page report 51 hours before the meeting when normally they would have seven days to review their agenda papers.
He said he would have loved the matter “to be done and dusted tonight”, acknowledging that those in the gallery were hoping for a decision. However, he added that it would be remiss not to ask councillors if they wanted to defer the decision to the March meeting to allow them more time to consider the report and make an informed decision.
Cr Lillian Simpson moved that the matter be deferred with the majority of councillors in agreeance.
A vocal supporter of prohibiting free camping at the Newey, Julie Payne, was in the gallery and said she was disappointed and frustrated that the matter was deferred.
“Councillors have had most of the information since December and should have made it a priority to read the report so that a decision could be made on the recommendations tabled,” Mrs Payne said.
