Bureaucracy on show

THE proposed review of the South Gippsland Council by laws once again highlights the work of the fun police. Whist there is understandably some knee jerk responses on social media it is worth noting some of the shortcomings of particular clauses.

Council has endeavoured to answer some queries with a question-and-answer article however this creates even more uncertainty as the drafters have elected to renumber some clauses from the existing by laws making comparisons difficult.

Clause 33 Unsightly and dangerous properties

Part of this refers to long grass over 30cm high etc but the clause applies to all private property and makes no mention of an exemption for property in the farming zone.

Clearly there is one rule for the council and one for ratepayers as most readers would be familiar with the unsightly Council storage dumps on the roadside. For example, Wild dog Valley Road in

Leongatha and another on the main road near Fish creek and no doubt others.

Clause 37 suggests that only one boat or caravan can be kept on a residential property. If you have both, a permit for one must be obtained and that permit renewed annually. Furthermore if you are a tradesman with a work Ute and trailer, and a boat and a caravan get the credit card out for even more permits and payments every year.

The penalty for non-compliance currently over $300.

Clause 41 Animal housing including storage of stock feed. Again, there is no mention of an exemption for properties in the farming zone.

Clause 44 obviously the drafters are very good at cutting and pasting as there are numerous mentions in articles about this review to a manual called “Manual for Traffic at Control Stock Crossing” by Vic

Roads. For the record the articles correct title is Manual for Traffic Control at Stock Crossings.

For a Council that is well aware of the importance of farming in the area, one can only wonder if the Council is keen to protect or prosecute those businesses.

Doug Mclaren, Leongatha North