Once again our Councillors have shown overwhelmingly their lack of long-term vision in the interests of short-term gain. I must echo the disappointment and dismay shown in the community at the result of the Slade Lives Again tender. It is disappointing not only for the SLA members (who it should be remembered are all volunteer community members with the best interests of the community at heart with no personal agendas) but for the Warwick – and surrounding – community as a whole. The campus was purchased FOR the community with community funds – but semantics has enabled the council to now enter into negotiations with the other tenderer. We’re also expected to believe that group – a school with 50 students – will now miraculously expand in less than six months to occupy not only their existing site but this new one too, who still need to pass accreditation and have government approvals completed before Semester 2, 2012.
Cr Meiklejohn was quoted as saying “… to protect council interest I would have liked more details about negotiations…” That’s nice, but it might be timely to remind ALL Councillors what S.12 of the Local Government Act 2009 states with regard to Councillors’ responsibilities: “(6) When performing a responsibility, a Councillor must serve the overall public interest of the whole local government area.” In addition, the Integrity Act 2009 and the Queensland Contact with Lobbyists Code lay down expectations that Councillors ensure contact with lobbyists is conducted in accordance with PUBLIC expectations of transparency, integrity and honesty. If public money was used to purchase Slade in the first instance, then negotiations with the other tenderer should be conducted in an open forum. There’s been too much ‘closed door’ handling of this issue.
These Councillors keep going on about how community-minded they are but prove time and time again – and even openly state – that they serve the interests of the council – not the interests of the people who put them in those chambers – in direct contravention of S12(6). Staff are paid to look after the interests of the council – Councillors are put there by us to look after OUR interests. This has been legislated for. How else do the people have their wishes and views taken to government and acted on? If they don’t know what the people think, get out there and ask them!
Lyn Bishop,
Warwick
