The answer to the Sunderland Bay question is 520

IF YOU read the Bass Coast Shire Council’s ‘Engage’ website it states: “Sunderland Bay and Surf Beach special charge scheme is underway”.

It’s not “underway”.

In fact, as the shire CEO Ali Wastie confirmed at the council meeting on Wednesday this week, the final report on all aspects of the project, including the cost per resident in Sunderland Bay and Surf Beach, will not come before council for decision until July 2023.

There are, however, likely to be some sleepless nights ahead for those opposed to the $22.8M to $30.4M special charge scheme.

At the council meeting last Wednesday, October 19, six affected residents put questions to council about the status of the property-owner-paid street and drainage project, which would be the biggest in the shire’s history.

All of them were addressed by the one answer from council, read out by the shire CEO Ali Wastie.

In the answer, Ms Wastie assured residents that the council would abide by its own ‘Urban Roads and Drainage Improvement Policy 2019’ and the Local Government Act 1989 when making its decision to go ahead or scrap the scheme.

The salient point on whether council goes ahead or not is contained in the ‘Special Rates and Charges Ministerial Guidelines September 2004’ which sets out how the Act is to be applied:

“If a council proposes to levy a total amount that exceeds two thirds of the total cost, the affected ratepayers have a right to object and if the council receives objections from a majority of those ratepayers within 28 days of the public notice it may not declare the scheme.”

In other words, if 1033 residents are potentially included in the scheme, upwards of 517 of them (say 520 to be sure) would have to write to council and officially object.

Unfortunately, as members of the 'Say No to Sunderland Bay and Surf Beach Special Charges Scheme' acknowledge, just getting that number of people to even engage will be difficult.

“The main message we want to get across is council is simply not listening,” said publicity officer for the group, Maxine Sando.

“They haven’t even done an environmental impact statement yet and this is a unique area with Short-tailed Shearwater burrows on both sides of The Esplanade, eastern barred bandicoots running around and all the rest.

“And the cost. They’re modelling it on the cost of the Pioneer Bay scheme but residents there have told us the indicated cost practically doubled by the time the project was approved.

“They’re talking between $30,000 and $50,000 for a typical block now but what’s it going to be in two or three years’ time when they build it?

“A lot of people don’t have that sort of money lying around. They’re worried. And under the shire’s hardship arrangements, the very people who will be most affected by this, will end up paying double.

“There are alternatives, and we just want them to consider those alternatives. If they maintained the drains like they’re supposed to it would eliminate most of the problems. And there are dust-suppressant treatments that last up to 15 years. Let’s hear some of those alternatives.”

There is, however, a sense of inevitability about council’s approach in the careful wording it is using and even the way it is controlling involvement by individual councillors in the debate.

Here’s what shire CEO Ms Wastie had to say in answer to the questions put to council:

“Council is following the Urban Roads and Drainage Improvement Policy 2019 and the legislative processes of the Local Government Act 1989 in regards to the Surf Beach in Sunderland Bay potential road and drainage upgrade project.

“Council is undertaking community engagement and various planning investigations to determine the preferred design, project risks, cost estimates and cost proportion of works.

“Council’s engagement includes consultation with every property owner within Surf Beach and Sunderland Bay. A monthly newsletter, emails and letter correspondence as well as a dedicated information page on Engage Bass Coast.

“The community reference group consisting of over 100 property owners has also been established to help guide potential design options, which will later be presented to the wider community.

“A detailed report to Council is expected to be presented for consideration in July 2023. Residents are encouraged to follow updates on the proposal on engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au.

“Officers (of the council) will also follow up with each question submitter to discuss their specific inquiries further,” Ms Wastie said.

Cr Rochelle Halstead also added a few comments on behalf of Western Port Ward Councillors Bruce Kent, Clare Le Serve and herself, trying to offer some reassurances about the process.

“Mr Mayor, can I just add to that, if you don't mind, in relation to councillors, especially Western Port Ward councillors, who have been receiving incredible feedback from the community and just to give the community confidence that councillors are taking their submissions very seriously. We are taking their concerns on board.

“It's not appropriate at this time for councillors to make any decision until all of the information has been put together in a report by council and that it will come to the Council for a decision and I just want to give our community in Surf Beach and Sunderland Bay the confidence that Western Port Councillors in particular are paying very close attention to the emails that they're receiving. Thank you, Mr Mayor.”

But those opposed to the scheme will not want to wait until July 2023 for the final report to be presented and voted on by councillors.

Once the public notice, advising the community that council intends to declare a scheme, is advertised, objectors will have just 28 days to notify council of their objections.

You wouldn’t want to be chasing up 520 letters of objection in 28 days in Surf Beach and Sunderland Bay, across July and August next year, to stop the 15.2km urban street and drainage project from going ahead.

The other useful number for objectors to remember is five (5). If they can't get 520 residents to write letters of objection, they've only got to convince five of the nine councillors to vote against the project to win the day.