Willow Court motions

THERE can be no doubt that the council and our community have reached a crisis point in the long-running saga of Willow Court. In response to the disastrous loss of F Ward in a suspicious fire, I have proposed the following motions for the monthly council meeting this Thursday. Your feedback is welcome and I encourage you to make your feelings known to your other councillors.

1. That this council proceed immediately with the installation of permanent security fencing around Wards D, E, F and G at Willow Court.
1a. That council make urgent application to the State and Federal Government for sundry grants to contribute towards the cost of fencing Wards D, E, F and G.

2. That this council proceed immediately to expand the fenced enclosure around Frescati to include the house garden area, including the pond and hedge, and the installation of electronic security inside the fenced area.
2a. That council make urgent application to the State and Federal Government for sundry grants to contribute towards the cost of expanding the fenced area around Frescati and electronic security.
2b. That council develop procedures with the Friends of Frescati to ensure their continued access to the site.

3. That this council take immediate steps to bring to a speedy conclusion the protracted negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Government for the development and protection of the Willow Court historic site.

4. That this council issue a general apology for its comprehensive failure to protect and develop the Willow Court historic site over the last decade, resulting in the vandalising of all buildings in its care and the complete destruction of one.
4a. That the apology be published as a media release issued by the mayor, as a public notice in a daily newspaper circulating in Tasmania and in a prominent position on the council website.

5. That this council note and apologise for its failure to implement decisions about Willow Court in a timely manner.

6. That this council apologise to its ratepayers for the burden placed upon them by its failure to address the Willow Court issues for the last 10 years, including the loss of grant funds and the poor management of several million dollars.

7. That this council congratulate the owners of parts of the site who have successfully protected and developed the parts of the site they are responsible for; and pledge to work co-operatively with them from this point forward.

8. That this council thank those members of the community who have volunteered their time to work on the site in the last decade and develop procedures to work more effectively with those community members from this point forward.

9. That this council make contact with Malcolm McDonald to obtain an estimate of the cost for him to source grants in accordance with the McDonald Report.