South Gippsland Local Law in the firing line

REBELLION was afoot at Leongatha RSL on Thursday, November 2, during a public meeting called to fight South Gippsland Shire Council’s proposed general local laws that are contained in a recently released draft document.

While some expressed concerns related specifically to local laws, other attendees indulged in conspiracy theories and questioned the validity of not just their local council but councils in general.

The well-attended meeting was chaired by regular council adversary David Amor.

“The reason we’re here is to try and understand the garbage the shire has put upon us,” he told his audience.

David argued the timeframe for community members to provide feedback on council’s draft version of its General Local Law 2024 is inadequate.

Councillors voted at their October meeting to publicly exhibit the draft document between October 19 and November 2, with submissions able to be made during that period.

Following concerns expressed by councillor Scott Rae during the October council meeting about potential negative impacts of some of the proposed local laws on those in the shire’s agricultural sector, the level of public comment prompted council to extend the period for submissions by a week.

Specific local law concerns raised during Thursday’s meeting included the impossibility of eliminating rodents from animal feed such as hay or preventing farm odours from reaching neighbouring properties, as well as the need to obtain a permit to move livestock.

“Without a permit, a person must not cause, allow or undertake the grazing or droving of livestock on a road or in a municipal place,” it is stated in the Part 3 - ‘Amenity’ section, Division 2 - ‘Animals’, paragraph 44, sub-clause (1) of the draft General Local Law 2024.

However, immediately underneath it is added that, “Sub-clause (1) does not apply when the person complies wholly with the Manual for Traffic at Control Stock Crossings (Vic Roads, June 2015), including obtaining all necessary permissions from the relevant road authority.”

Concern was expressed at the meeting a permit would be required to shift livestock directly from paddock to paddock even if no road is involved, but nobody pointed to any evidence in the draft document that is the case.

The mention of rodents in animal feed relates to paragraph 41 of the previously mentioned section of the draft local law document.

“All animal food for consumption kept or stored on the private property is kept or stored in a vermin or fly-proof receptacle,” the paragraph states is a requirement for housing an animal.

Furthermore, it is noted that any animal odour emanating from the private property must not interfere with the immediate amenity of the area.

A further meeting is being held at 1pm on Wednesday, November 8, at 56 Bair Street opposite Leongatha Fire Station, with submissions on the proposed local laws needing to be received by the following day.

Anyone wishing to comment can do so online through council’s ‘Your Say’ site.