At the September General Meeting, Cr Helen Murray moved a motion not to adopt the Cleveland CBD Masterplan and to engage what she termed as experts to investigate the effect of this plan on the urban koala. There have been numerous opportunities for councillors to request the input of the “experts” over the previous two and half years and I argued that point strongly in the debate. This motion was supported by Cr Murray, Cr Reimers and Cr Toni Bowler.
PROPOSED MOTION
Moved by: Cr Murray
Seconded by: Cr Reimers
1. That Council resolves not to adopt the Cleveland Centre Master Plan & Implementation Plan 2010.
2. That Council resolves to engage the following persons or their representatives to give their considered opinion on the future viability of urban koalas in the Cleveland area as a result of Council adopting the plan as proposed:
Dr Frank Carrick UQ
Ms Diedre de Villiers UQ
Mrs Deborah Tabart AKF
Mrs Debbie Pointing KAG
Mr Simon Baltais WPS
3. That the future of the Cleveland Master Plan be based on the best outcome and viability of the urban koalas in the Redlands
This motion was lost and following further debate the masterplan was finally adopted.
MASTERPLAN AMENDMENTS
This plan was due to be adopted in early 2008 but was rejected by Melva and many of her “new team of councillors”. I did not support further delays to this process. However. it was sent back to the drawing board for further consultation, workshops and consideration at the request of a majority of Councillors. Councillors asked for a number of issues to be addressed including the ability for koalas to transverse the CBD area.
IMPACTS IN BUSINESS
The community and business people of Cleveland need certainty to move forward and survive. The Cleveland CBD in particular has visible signs of struggle and needs an injection of strong vision which only Council can provide with input from the community. In the debate, I encouraged people to have a walk around the Cleveland CBD and maybe count the number of For Lease/For Sale signs that now exist. It was argued back at me, clearly these businesses are also responsible for their own fate. However, in the cycle of business turnover, astute investors are not filling these vacancies. Why? The cost of doing business in Redlands is no longer attractive, perhaps the risks currently outweigh potential return and Commercial premises copped an 18% increase in rates this year with no further investment in Economic Development for the City. These are considerations that business owners weigh up in making decisions to relocate or to start up/expand.
The efficiency and timeliness of Council's decision making impacts all residents. In this instance, Melva and a majority of councillors did not like the outcome of community engagement in 2007. After further consultation the amended plan has now been delivered which some Councillors are still not happy with. Nearly four years to deliver a high level visionary document is simply not good enough. Council must understand that time means money for private enterprise and the cost of not doing so is often passed on to the general public.
Glad to hear this has finally been past. It looks to me like exactly what Cleveland needs in order to be sustainable rather than die which is how its currently looking.
ReplyDeleteGotta look after all those Koalas hanging around Cleveland. Looks like a case of jobs for the gang when you look at those 'consultants' put up for the task. By the time the Council majority make a decision I'll be out of business looking for welfare. Redland Council is slowly but purposeful killing of the City for everyone unless you're a koala - We can't bear it anymore.
ReplyDeletePut up your hands if you genuinely believe a koala population can be sustained in the LONG TERM in an urban environment?
ReplyDeleteI know that these Councillors and some of their faceless supporters seem to think that they rule this neighbourhood but I do not see one decent, LONG-TERM sustainable idea that will, in truth, save the koalas.
Buy as much land as you like, but the cars will keep coming, and these roads are here forever as far as I can see. (Know when Old Cleveland Road was first built? It was 1863! Finucane Road? Before at least 1960.
Businesses are dying; livelihoods are struggling; many lives lie in ruins thanks to the neglect of infrastructure and meaningful investment in this community.
Karen, you are the ONLY person on this partisan, one-eyed Council who seeks its advice largely from activists and people of no real background in either economic, ecology, science or even history!
Who's running our Council? It's certainly not the ratepayers who pay these Councillors wages! It's not the business owners, home owners or the workers of this City.
What will the true legacy of this Council be? An utter despair!
The three Councillors that opposed the Cleveland Master Plan do not seem to understand that when business premises remain vacant for extended period it has an affect on the surrounding businesses. When shop fronts remain vacant the area becomes unattractive and people start to go elsewhere, then more and more businesses close and the cycle goes on until there is nothing happening at all.
ReplyDeleteCouncil not only has a role in making the Redlands an attractive place to do business but the responsibility to take the lead in seeing Redland City a place where people want to shop, work and play.
We have wonderful assets in Redland City, what we need is the vision to capitalise on these assets.
Vision without action is a daydream - Action without vision is a nightmare
ReplyDeleteSo another plan ... when is there going to be action!