Tom Sharp's
Blog
27-08-2020
SHARP COMMENT 6 - Carrying on up the Scenic Pass
The Scenic Rim Regional Council Ordinary Meeting held on 3 August was a sample of British comedies best. A splattering of Monty Python, Black Adder, Benny Hill, Faulty Towers, On the Buses, Are You Being Served? and Yes Minister all rolled in to one.
The world’s best comedic writers could not have hoped to create a script of such farcical embrace.
If you think it not possible, please listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npokpk6i2mo&feature=youtu.be for the embarrassment of the century.
A notice of motion by Cr Derek Swanborough to enforce proper consultation with the people of this region in relation to the closing and demolition of the Helen Street Saleyards was at the heart of the matter.
Proper process was core to the debate, but free debate was heavily stifled by the fact that no one in the room knew the correct process in running the meeting.
Several points of order ensued from across the floor, sadly not in relation to representation but in relation to councillors’ personal feelings that Cr Swanborough had been disrespectful and was not playing on their “team”.
Cr Swanborough advised Council of a notice of motion on 23 July, providing 12 days for Council to engage and work with him in ensuring proper governance and representation for the people of this region.
On 29 July, seven days after Cr Swanborough’s notice of motion, the Mayor issued a media release which said, in part: “SRRC is continuing to consult with stakeholders as it considers the future of the Beaudesert Saleyards”.
On 3 August Councillors McConnell, Enright, West, Chalk and McInnes, along with the Mayor, voted against Cr Swanborough’s objective of proper consultation, effectively ripping up the media release which was titled: “Council to Consider Saleyards Future”.
Yes, the Mayor voted against his own media release made only five days before the vote.
Cr West cried foul, citing extreme disappointment in Cr Swanborough not reaching out and working as a team.
Cr McConnell became quite impassioned over the use of the words “supposed council consultation” by Cr Swanborough. Again, all about feelings and not thought associated with the facts presented to date - “supposed consultation” was at best 90 people.
That’s right, until proven otherwise the consultation process involved 90 people. Was this a select group by invitation only? How was it carried out? How quickly and when?
I have been advised by a community leader in Beaudesert that he rang Council and asked to attend a consultation meeting regarding the planned revitalisation of Beaudesert i.e. Davidson Park, new library etc. He had found out about the meeting through an associate who was attending. He then rang Council to advise that he would happily attend and was told that the meeting was by invitation only and that he was not invited and not welcome to attend.
That’s right, “by invitation only” and one of this region’s leading identities and Beaudesert stalwarts was not welcome.
Cr Enright excelled in exposing himself through his own consultation practices of an inner sanctum of 20, “his sounding board” that was then broadened out to 90 people!
He advised Cr Swanborough of his own feelings, and thought
Cr Swanborough’s motion totally disrespectful. He also assured Cr Swanborough that his knowledge of Beaudesert, gained by his 20 years of working in that town, could not be matched by Cr Enright’s 60 years’ living in Beaudesert and his family history of 130 years, and that his knowledge was the greater.
Cr Enright went on to reveal that the SRRC has not been properly maintaining the people’s assets and squandering our money.
He went to great lengths to point out that the saleyards are in a deplorable state of repair and that some 26 structural posts out of 34 are either split, rotten or termite ridden, making the structure unsafe to say the least.
It is less than three years since Council built a new roof for the saleyards, expending at least $30,000 of ratepayers’ money.
Who puts a brand-new roof on an unstable structure and lets it continue to deteriorate?
Council, what are you doing with our money and how are you maintaining our assets?
The world’s best comedic writers could not have hoped to create a script of such farcical embrace.
If you think it not possible, please listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npokpk6i2mo&feature=youtu.be for the embarrassment of the century.
A notice of motion by Cr Derek Swanborough to enforce proper consultation with the people of this region in relation to the closing and demolition of the Helen Street Saleyards was at the heart of the matter.
Proper process was core to the debate, but free debate was heavily stifled by the fact that no one in the room knew the correct process in running the meeting.
Several points of order ensued from across the floor, sadly not in relation to representation but in relation to councillors’ personal feelings that Cr Swanborough had been disrespectful and was not playing on their “team”.
Cr Swanborough advised Council of a notice of motion on 23 July, providing 12 days for Council to engage and work with him in ensuring proper governance and representation for the people of this region.
On 29 July, seven days after Cr Swanborough’s notice of motion, the Mayor issued a media release which said, in part: “SRRC is continuing to consult with stakeholders as it considers the future of the Beaudesert Saleyards”.
On 3 August Councillors McConnell, Enright, West, Chalk and McInnes, along with the Mayor, voted against Cr Swanborough’s objective of proper consultation, effectively ripping up the media release which was titled: “Council to Consider Saleyards Future”.
Yes, the Mayor voted against his own media release made only five days before the vote.
Cr West cried foul, citing extreme disappointment in Cr Swanborough not reaching out and working as a team.
Cr McConnell became quite impassioned over the use of the words “supposed council consultation” by Cr Swanborough. Again, all about feelings and not thought associated with the facts presented to date - “supposed consultation” was at best 90 people.
That’s right, until proven otherwise the consultation process involved 90 people. Was this a select group by invitation only? How was it carried out? How quickly and when?
I have been advised by a community leader in Beaudesert that he rang Council and asked to attend a consultation meeting regarding the planned revitalisation of Beaudesert i.e. Davidson Park, new library etc. He had found out about the meeting through an associate who was attending. He then rang Council to advise that he would happily attend and was told that the meeting was by invitation only and that he was not invited and not welcome to attend.
That’s right, “by invitation only” and one of this region’s leading identities and Beaudesert stalwarts was not welcome.
Cr Enright excelled in exposing himself through his own consultation practices of an inner sanctum of 20, “his sounding board” that was then broadened out to 90 people!
He advised Cr Swanborough of his own feelings, and thought
Cr Swanborough’s motion totally disrespectful. He also assured Cr Swanborough that his knowledge of Beaudesert, gained by his 20 years of working in that town, could not be matched by Cr Enright’s 60 years’ living in Beaudesert and his family history of 130 years, and that his knowledge was the greater.
Cr Enright went on to reveal that the SRRC has not been properly maintaining the people’s assets and squandering our money.
He went to great lengths to point out that the saleyards are in a deplorable state of repair and that some 26 structural posts out of 34 are either split, rotten or termite ridden, making the structure unsafe to say the least.
It is less than three years since Council built a new roof for the saleyards, expending at least $30,000 of ratepayers’ money.
Who puts a brand-new roof on an unstable structure and lets it continue to deteriorate?
Council, what are you doing with our money and how are you maintaining our assets?