Existing residents have had two meetings with Council in the last week

After assurances the next step was to arrange a meeting with Coast2Bay, (which would have given residents and Councillors the chance to understand the Coast2Bay development proposal first hand) residents were shocked to learn the Council would vote on the subdivision of 62LMD at the Ordinary Council meeting on January 23. More dissappointing was that in another staggeringly tone-deaf act, Council decided the fate of 62LMD, and with it, the shire ratepayers' finances, in another confidential session. This was justified by co-mingling commercially sensitive information with the decision about the overall site development strategy. 12 to 13 residents (including four children) awaited the outcome in the Council foyer for between 6 and 7 hours.

Apparently the 6 Councillors present (Cr Stockwell attended online) were asked to vote for one of two proposals - A Council staff modified version of the September 2024 Residents Proposal, and a Council staff recommendation for subdivision.

The Council voted 4:3 on the resolution to adopt the Staff Recommendation. FOR: Crs Wilkie, Stockwell, Finzel and Wegener. AGAINST: Crs Lorentson, Wilson and Phillips.

The resolution itself makes an interesting read. It essentially, committed the council to the remediation of the whole site before tenders had been sought for the cost, approved the deal with Coast2Bay before Councillors could meet them to ask questions, and approved full subdivision works (including roads and services) for a housing outcome across the site while promising Council would (finally) do some community consultation about the future uses of the site which may lead to a public open space outcome on most of it.

• Council goes it alone....

  - The Ordinary Council meeting 23 January 2024