Friday, January 16, 2009

Improving communication within Colac Otway Shire

Take Control ----Blog!
Most of us know that some important planning issues are not aired very well in the Shire. Why did the Council pay up for a bypass discussion and not consider it ? What is the planning commitment to the arts precinct? You name your own issue! Why do the facts not get presented? Are issues being shoved in the too hard basket or conveniently "moved On" onto some consultants desk to lie low forever ?
Not good enough - A previous generation of counsellors would have spoken on the practical issues below, and so should this lot!

The people deserve better than to have one lot go out and a new lot come in without a way of getting to the bottom of the issues. We know the Council aren't very powerful, but while they all run to consultants, or give in to cringe or fear of some group , they will continue to not make the hard local decisons or run a decent discussion on them.
Worst of all, the options for some basic directions are not being clearly before the public - for example
---What can or cannot be done with the lake ? .
----What are the practical options for a bypass ?
----Why aren' the traffic issues (incl in apollo bay )addressed in the grand master plans we just approved?
----Why isn't the general planning of COPAC/library/block not in the grand master plan we paid for recently ?
You will notice i used the word practical - a practical approach is to recognise WE CAN decide because ultimately the choices are few and they are ones average people can deal with ---ie practical.
So ----I am saying ---the future is OURs, IF WE DARE TO take control of it and NOT go pandering to some government institution who know even better how to pass the buck . No solution there! Decide men and womenon Council
YOU can be better informed, insist on reasonable answers and get your message across !.WE can work together . We may not be able to do these things for a while because of finance , but we can talk practically about the possibilities , can't we? YOu can join this BLOG right now - send a email to fester@eftel.net.au requesting same!
Be good to hear U .