Get on with the job

Last week our community successfully demonstrated that when the silent majority find their voice and take action, they can change outcomes at council.

The decision by councillors to accept the community’s rejection of option 1 is certainly a welcome first step.

However, more steps are needed to get this council to extend the very successful option 2 on to Goroke St.

Step 1 requires sincere, genuine, and total transparency and honesty about communications between Bass Coast Shire Council and DEECA. 

Council must publish all communications regarding past and future applications for stage 3b. Unfortunately it is most unlikely that council will allow this transparency to the community. 

Step 2 requires councillors to act in accordance with the overwhelming majority who support the continuation of option 2 to Goroke St. 

Unfortunately those councillors who are aligned with the conservation society will be resistant to the will of the community, and I believe that they will be doing their utmost to kill off option 2.

Hopefully five councillors understand the need for the final stage of the path to be properly constructed as per stage 3a, and that these councillors accept that it is will of the majority for that to happen.

Having delayed construction for years, some at council are now attempting to convince the community that is all DEECA’s fault. If it is true that DEECA says no, then those councillors who are sensible and pragmatic about balancing essential community infrastructure with environmental sensitivity will go into bat against DEECA.

Step 3 requires ongoing community effort to ensure that all nine councillors understand that option 2 is what the community expects council to construct for the final stage of the path.

The evidence delivered by the experts is that the path does not pose a risk to the environment.  Council accepted the evidence in 2019 and presented it to the community.

Then as now, the community gave its clear overwhelming verdict in favour of option 2.

This council should stop wasting more ratepayer money, and just get on with the job that was agreed in 2019.

Kevin Griffin