PUBLIC ACCESS 13th March 2018 –
Patricia Hellier north Batemans Bay – Thank you Mayor Innes I am here today to address my concerns to the article that appeared in Fridays Bay Post 9th March 2018 in relation to the Batemans Bay Bowling Club site. The article contained words to the affect that “lease it or lose it”: Council on Bay Bowlo. The article also stated that a consortium of Business People had offered to purchase this site in February for the same price that the council had paid in April 2016.
As many will be aware I was one of those at the time that support Councils purchase of this site even though I did not support the price paid. The purchase created a huge buzz and excitement within the community and finally there appeared to be an opportunity for this site to be used by various community groups providing Council could “get it right”.
Promises were made which has lead to great disappointment and it has created divisions within the community. I have attended a number of meetings to listen to the view of individuals from within the community and I have spoken on a few occasions here in this Council Chambers on this issue.
I am very disappointed to say the least that we are nearing the 2 years anniversary of the purchase of this site and the site still remain idle.
Over the last 2 years I have placed submissions and spoken in Council. Late 2016 I suggested that the Clubs Auditorium could be used over the school holiday period for child care as there were many working parents looking for a facility to cater for their school aged children, and the bowling greens were an idea area for a jumping castle equipment etc at the time the Mayor asked that I give my views to the Council which I did.
I have been informed that the Club was “inhabitable” and yet when my husband and I attended the open day in June 2016 the auditorium appeared to be in good condition at the end of the inspection a staff person told my husband and myself that in a couple of years the building would be gone and yet Council continued to ask the community for submissions on this site.
Statements have been made in relation to the air conditioning units etc. and yet now it would appear that the RMS may lease the land and building, can someone please explain to me a rate payer of this shire how can the building on one hand deemed uninhabitable and yet we now are being told that the RMS will be using this building.
Why did Council engage a firm of Consultants from Queensland who apparently deemed that this site to be a “gate way” to the Eurobodalla which I believed caused the focus from the original ideas for the purchase of this site to be changed.
Why has this project got to this point where now it appears that there is a suggestion that the NSW State Government MAY reclaim this land and has this been a case of BIG BROTHER always being in control and us the rate payers of this shire being their pawns? And don’t forget Councillors this purchase was made by the same group of Councillors who told the Rate Payers of this shire the great need for a 21.6% Special Rate Variation then turned around and borrowed a reported $2million.
Why was the offer from a Business consortium to purchase this site not bought to a Council meeting? Perhaps in light of everything this offer should be revisited.
Should the State Government reclaim this land hopefully the Rate Payers of this shire will be compensated to a figure of $3.5million as it is now rumoured that this Council is incapable of dealing with a project of this size.
There has been a lack of transparency over this issue from the day it was purchased and the purchase price was incorrectly relayed to the Rate Payers and Residents of this shire via a Media Release dated 29th April 2016 by the previous Mayor who stated the facility could include a new aquatic centre, an arts cultural cinema building, conference an event space, tourism accommodation, restaurant and cafes, senior living and the integration of existing sporting fields into the future development of this precinct .
Just recently I have spoke to two proprietors in Caravan sales out of this area, one person told me how disappointed they were when the Caravan and Camping show did not go ahead in 2017 due to the fact that the Council was doing maintenance on the oval. The second proprietor told me that the Caravan and Camping Show would not be returning to McKay Park due to the fact that this area and grounds would no longer be available as the land was earmarked for “other purposes”. Council the facts are these shows bought a large amount of tourism into this shire,
Councillors why are we the rate payers of this shire made to feel we are continually being kept in the dark with a continued veil of secrecy surrounding this council.
Thank you
