Former Baywater councillor questions motives of local elected members.

LAST Monday I attended Bayswater council’s Planning Committee for a five-minute deputation. My five minutes were set down for 8.20.

On arriving at the Chamber doors, the place was packed with people wanting their five minutes in front of the mayor and the committee.

As a former councillor and regular concerned ratepayer, I have never seen so many wanting their five minute deputation.

I think this is endemic in most councils.

Infill planning with higher density has brought out the worst in some planning issues. One concern is 13 dwellings plus two offices set on 591sq m.

Then we have a serious concern of our aged-care homes being bought and our sports centres being swallowed up by outside groups. The list goes on.

So now, we have good folk trying to reason with a mayor who has not been strong enough to keep away the wolves at the door.

At the Ordinary council meeting, the same issues can be seen, a packed gallery wanting common sense to prevail, so the 30-minute question time ran into an hour.

The proposed concrete batching plant also had issues and when it came to this item, the mayor and two others voted for it.

Crs Terry Kenyon, Chris Cornish, Barry McKenna, Mike Anderton, Alan Radford, Martin Toldo all voted against the plant: thank you councillors.

Who is behind all the greed? Maybe the State Government is getting too close to manipulating councillors to do its bidding with lobbyists pulling the strings on all sides.

You know the old adage – you can’t fool all the people all of the time.

SALLY PALMER,

100 McGilvray Avenue,

Noranda.