THIS month's meeting of the Derwent Valley Council will be held at the Lachlan Community Hall at 6.30pm this Thursday. A community forum will be held immediately before the meeting, starting at 5.45pm. The forum provides an informal opportunity for residents of the local area to ask questions or raise matters of concern.
A public question period is also available during the formal part of the meeting. These must be submitted in writing at least 10 minutes before the start of the meeting and the council requires that the questions be asked in person. A copy of the public question policy can be download here.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Willow Court talks
A FULL and frank discussion on the realities of the Willow Court site was held during a Special Closed Council Meeting on Thursday night. Strong views were expressed by those present (two councillors were absent). I voted against the meeting being closed to the public.
Councillors did not support my motion to make public the decision of this meeting, but they did agree to a follow-up motion to issue a public statement to the effect that the council was writing to Heritage Minister Brian Wightman in regard to future options for Willow Court and was seeking his urgent attention to the matter.
Councillors did not support my motion to make public the decision of this meeting, but they did agree to a follow-up motion to issue a public statement to the effect that the council was writing to Heritage Minister Brian Wightman in regard to future options for Willow Court and was seeking his urgent attention to the matter.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Time to review Willow Court position
I HAVE asked that a special council meeting be held this week to review the council's position on the handback of the Willow Court site. The mayor has agreed and the meeting will be on Thursday at 6.30pm in the courthouse at New Norfolk. My reasons are as follows:
- The council has spent a year unsuccessfully negotiating to return the remainder of Willow Court to the State Government
- The State Government clearly has no intention of fulfilling its election promise to resume ownership of the site
- The council has done nothing with the Willow Court development strategy (the MacDonald report) it received two months ago
- The mayor's failure to convene a promised meeting with its Willow Court Committee to discuss implementation of the MacDonald report
- Continuing vandalism of heritage buildings on the site as reported in last week's Derwent Valley Gazette.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
LegCo election - How we voted in the Valley
THE Tasmanian Electoral Commission has published the provisional polling place figures from today's Legislative Council by-election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Michael Aird two years into his term. Results from local polling booths follow. The electoral commission will re-check its figures tomorrow morning before conducting a provisional distribution of preferences.
BRONTE:
Phillip Bingley 4
Jenny Branch 10
Craig Farrell 13
Deirdre Flint 25
Ray Williams 17
Informal 5
DROMEDARY:
Bingley 31
Branch 47
Farrell 77
Flint 30
Williams 74
Informal 23
ELLENDALE:
Bingley 16
Branch 7
Farrell 18
Flint 44
Williams 37
Informal 10
GLENORA:
Bingley 16
Branch 23
Farrell 62
Flint 42
Williams 35
Informal 11
GRANTON:
Bingley 78
Branch 117
Farrell 167
Flint 108
Williams 113
Informal 48
GRETNA:
Bingley 12
Branch 23
Farrell 30
Flint 49
Williams 36
Informal 4
HAMILTON:
Bingley 3
Branch 19
Farrell 30
Flint 53
Williams 21
Informal 2
LACHLAN:
Bingley 86
Branch 52
Farrell 111
Flint 47
Williams 69
Informal 23
MAGRA:
Bingley 24
Branch 48
Farrell 215
Flint 61
Williams 101
Informal 26
MAYDENA:
Bingley 28
Branch 13
Farrell 41
Flint 6
Williams 37
Informal 11
MOLESWORTH:
Bingley 49
Branch 38
Farrell 117
Flint 26
Williams 41
Informal 17
NEW NORFOLK:
Bingley 205
Branch 220
Farrell 737
Flint 247
Williams 272
Informal 98
NEW NORFOLK NORTH:
Bingley 74
Branch 158
Farrell 610
Flint 167
Williams 202
Informal 80
OUSE:
Bingley 11
Branch 20
Farrell 41
Flint 69
Williams 51
Informal 8
WESTERWAY:
Bingley 32
Branch 23
Farrell 52
Flint 37
Williams 36
Informal 10
BRONTE:
Phillip Bingley 4
Jenny Branch 10
Craig Farrell 13
Deirdre Flint 25
Ray Williams 17
Informal 5
DROMEDARY:
Bingley 31
Branch 47
Farrell 77
Flint 30
Williams 74
Informal 23
ELLENDALE:
Bingley 16
Branch 7
Farrell 18
Flint 44
Williams 37
Informal 10
GLENORA:
Bingley 16
Branch 23
Farrell 62
Flint 42
Williams 35
Informal 11
GRANTON:
Bingley 78
Branch 117
Farrell 167
Flint 108
Williams 113
Informal 48
GRETNA:
Bingley 12
Branch 23
Farrell 30
Flint 49
Williams 36
Informal 4
HAMILTON:
Bingley 3
Branch 19
Farrell 30
Flint 53
Williams 21
Informal 2
LACHLAN:
Bingley 86
Branch 52
Farrell 111
Flint 47
Williams 69
Informal 23
MAGRA:
Bingley 24
Branch 48
Farrell 215
Flint 61
Williams 101
Informal 26
MAYDENA:
Bingley 28
Branch 13
Farrell 41
Flint 6
Williams 37
Informal 11
MOLESWORTH:
Bingley 49
Branch 38
Farrell 117
Flint 26
Williams 41
Informal 17
NEW NORFOLK:
Bingley 205
Branch 220
Farrell 737
Flint 247
Williams 272
Informal 98
NEW NORFOLK NORTH:
Bingley 74
Branch 158
Farrell 610
Flint 167
Williams 202
Informal 80
OUSE:
Bingley 11
Branch 20
Farrell 41
Flint 69
Williams 51
Informal 8
WESTERWAY:
Bingley 32
Branch 23
Farrell 52
Flint 37
Williams 36
Informal 10
Monday, May 2, 2011
Candidates questioned
ABOUT 30 people attended tonight's public forum for candidates seeking election to the Legislative Council seat of Derwent. The function was held at the New Norfolk District Football Club, where club president Steven Dixon welcomed those present and congratulated moderator Ngaire Glover on her initiative in organising the event.
Mrs Glover welcomed candidates Craig Farrell (ALP), Phillip Bingley (Greens) and Ray Williams (Independent) and advised that the two remaining independent candidates (Deirdre Flint and Jenny Branch) had other commitments and were not able to attend.
Each candidate was then given five minutes to introduce himself before the forum moved on to a question and answer session. Some of the questions were:
Do you support the mandatory detention of asylum seekers? Mr Bingley was the only candidate to specifically answer this question, stating that he did not support mandatory detention.
Do you support container deposit legislation? All three candidates answered "yes".
Do you support the clearfelling of native forests? Mr Williams and Mr Bingley answered "no", while Mr Farrell said he supported selective harvesting in native forests.
How would you promote employment in the electorate? Mr Williams said he would lobby parliament and businesses for improved inland irrigation for increased agricultural production. He said Willow Court needed increased government funding to become an employment generator. Mr Farrell said there was no magic solution to employment but it was important to build on what we already have, in particular in tourism. He saw Willow Court and the Derwent Valley Railway was potential tourism employment generators. Mr Bingley said he would advocate the provision of government mentoring services to support private enterprise. He spoke of the success of the Agrarian Kitchen which had grown from a start-up business only a few years ago to now employing eight people.
Do you support cuts to state health and education budgets? Mr Williams said he had not seen the government's budget figures but had been concerned to read that cuts maybe made at the New Norfolk Police Station . Mr Farrell said those budgets should not be cut and said there was a need for increased support for policing and education when times were tough. Mr Bingley said front line services should be quarantined from budget cuts.
Do you support the linking of the Derwent and Huon Valleys by road? All three candidates said they supported this concept and the benefits it would bring to tourism in both regions.
What specifically are you going to do to get projects like Willow Court off the ground? Mr Williams answered "whatever it takes" and Mr Farrell said Willow Court deserved all that could be put into it, but noted that the Callington Mill redevelopment at Oatlands had taken about 30 years. Mr Bingley condemned the State Government for allowing the neglect, decay and vandalism at Willow Court to occur and said the involvement of private enterprise was needed.
Given what went wrong with Willow Court how can voters put their trust in you? This question was addressed to Mr Williams as a former Derwent Valley Councillor and Mr Farrell as a serving councillor. Mr Farrell said Willow Court's problems began when the government handed the site to the council without proper support. He said he did not carry all the responsibility for what had gone on and he did not have all the answers. Mr Williams acknowledged being on the council "when the lack of action was about" but said he had not been given the information he should have received as a councillor at the time. In particular, he did not know wages were being paid from Willow Court funds. While the question was not directed at Mr Bingley, he said he believed the recently completed report by Malcolm MacDonald provided a way forward.
Where would your office be situated? All three candidates answered that they would have their electorate office in New Norfolk.
Please note: By law, comments relating to the election must include the given name, surname and locality of the writer. Anonymous comments cannot be published during the election period.
Mrs Glover welcomed candidates Craig Farrell (ALP), Phillip Bingley (Greens) and Ray Williams (Independent) and advised that the two remaining independent candidates (Deirdre Flint and Jenny Branch) had other commitments and were not able to attend.
Each candidate was then given five minutes to introduce himself before the forum moved on to a question and answer session. Some of the questions were:
Do you support the mandatory detention of asylum seekers? Mr Bingley was the only candidate to specifically answer this question, stating that he did not support mandatory detention.
Do you support container deposit legislation? All three candidates answered "yes".
Do you support the clearfelling of native forests? Mr Williams and Mr Bingley answered "no", while Mr Farrell said he supported selective harvesting in native forests.
How would you promote employment in the electorate? Mr Williams said he would lobby parliament and businesses for improved inland irrigation for increased agricultural production. He said Willow Court needed increased government funding to become an employment generator. Mr Farrell said there was no magic solution to employment but it was important to build on what we already have, in particular in tourism. He saw Willow Court and the Derwent Valley Railway was potential tourism employment generators. Mr Bingley said he would advocate the provision of government mentoring services to support private enterprise. He spoke of the success of the Agrarian Kitchen which had grown from a start-up business only a few years ago to now employing eight people.
Do you support cuts to state health and education budgets? Mr Williams said he had not seen the government's budget figures but had been concerned to read that cuts maybe made at the New Norfolk Police Station . Mr Farrell said those budgets should not be cut and said there was a need for increased support for policing and education when times were tough. Mr Bingley said front line services should be quarantined from budget cuts.
Do you support the linking of the Derwent and Huon Valleys by road? All three candidates said they supported this concept and the benefits it would bring to tourism in both regions.
What specifically are you going to do to get projects like Willow Court off the ground? Mr Williams answered "whatever it takes" and Mr Farrell said Willow Court deserved all that could be put into it, but noted that the Callington Mill redevelopment at Oatlands had taken about 30 years. Mr Bingley condemned the State Government for allowing the neglect, decay and vandalism at Willow Court to occur and said the involvement of private enterprise was needed.
Given what went wrong with Willow Court how can voters put their trust in you? This question was addressed to Mr Williams as a former Derwent Valley Councillor and Mr Farrell as a serving councillor. Mr Farrell said Willow Court's problems began when the government handed the site to the council without proper support. He said he did not carry all the responsibility for what had gone on and he did not have all the answers. Mr Williams acknowledged being on the council "when the lack of action was about" but said he had not been given the information he should have received as a councillor at the time. In particular, he did not know wages were being paid from Willow Court funds. While the question was not directed at Mr Bingley, he said he believed the recently completed report by Malcolm MacDonald provided a way forward.
Where would your office be situated? All three candidates answered that they would have their electorate office in New Norfolk.
Please note: By law, comments relating to the election must include the given name, surname and locality of the writer. Anonymous comments cannot be published during the election period.
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