Julie Virtue’s letter to the Tenterfield Star (August 10) covered a wide range of issues and manages to highlight the ignorance of some people in comprehending what comes before council.
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Miss Virtue highlights the financial difficulties of the council while applauding the actions of six councillors who deliberately set out to sabotage the TVA administration of the Visitors Centre, thus causing council to expend many thousands of dollars to administer it themselves. An attempt to find out the exact cost was defeated at an extraordinary meeting of council by seven votes to three. What are the seven councillors trying to hide? Perhaps it might be a tad embarrassing just before an election if ratepayers found out just how much their actions cost.
Miss Virtue also mentions Thumpa Industries. This was an attempt to build a rabbit breeding complex in 1974 where the Saddlers Estate is now. This project was knocked on the head by the state government NOT the council of the day.
Tenterfield was one of many places Woolworths looked at to build their distribution centre. The council of the day gave them every assistance and encouragement, but Warwick was selected as a more strategic location.
I was on council when the Guyra tomato farm was built. Tenterfield was never approached or considered.
During my term several development proposals came forward and staff and councillors worked very hard to progress their application but for various reasons they did not proceed. One was a bamboo-growing farm at Woodside, another an international country club at the 9 Mile and an eco-tourism development at Morgan’s Creek flying in wealthy Chinese and Korean tourists from the Gold Coast by helicopter.
Councillors must reflect the desires and wishes of their constituents and be totally transparent in all their actions. Ignoring a petition with 1600 signatures (mine included) and then voting against revealing the true costing of their decision breaks both of these tenets.
As Mr L Rhodes said in his letter to the Star (August 3), ‘the election gives ratepayers an opportunity to reflect on the performance of some of the present councillors and consider the need for some new members be elected and rejuvenate the council’.
I couldn’t agree more.
