Council's Mission Statement:
The Shire (its Council and Employees) will listen to the community, provide ethical and open leadership, responsible and considered judgement...
This Shire Council never ceases to amaze me. The bald-faced way they go about trashing their stated values and ignoring all common standards of propriety to suit the narrow, small-minded interests of those in the inner-circle beggars belief.
In recent days, all of our elected councillors (except President Tony Pratico, who has a financial interest) voted to endorse a proposal which will harm the financial viability of the Blues at Bridgetown festival to benefit a few local traders, one of whom is Mr Pratico.
The Council's Blues Festival Trading policy has for years allowed the Festival organisers to sell to street traders the rights to sell food and drink, and other merchandise in the town for the three days of the festival.
The councillors have now unanimously approved a plan to prevent these traders from setting up in certain areas where they have always traded, including near Mr Pratico's chicken shop, and to ban them from trading on the Friday and Sunday of the festival.
So what justification has been put forward for this radical, and possibly very damaging change to this important event?
Simply this statement from CEO Tim Clynch"in his report to the councillors: Councillors had indicated that in recent years they had received communication from local shopkeepers that competing stalls had been allowed to trade in close proximity to their businesses.
And, if you can believe it, he went on to say: Council will have to determine whether it wishes to release the draft policy for community consultation including a formal referral to Blues at Bridgetown. On the basis that Council has clearly enunciated its position on Blues Trading the
recommendation is that Council adopt the policy without community consultation.
Without community consultation! What happened to listening to the community? What happened to considered judgement?
Who were these shopkeepers who went to the councillors demanding change? The only one we know about was Mr Pratico who complained to the newspaper after last year's Blues that vendors were too close to his chicken and chips shop.
Public consultation matrix for
Council decision to change Blues trading policy
Local traders
(including Shire President)
|
Outside traders
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Blues festival
|
Patrons
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Locals
|
|
Likely impact
|
positive
|
negative
|
negative
|
negative
|
neutral
|
Consulted?
|
some (anecdotal)
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/bridgetown-council-allow-the-installation-of-fixed-wireless-nbn?share_id=ycfnyVdXSi&utm_campaign=share_button_action_box&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition
ReplyDeleteYou could do with a little more interaction with other people and try to get like thinking residents on your side rather than just having a bit of a whinge session on here that achieves nothing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback. My aim is simply to ensure there is some form of accountability for the Council and councilors, given the lack of interest by local media. I think to characterize it as a ''whinge session" is a bit unfair and whether others agree or disagree and wish to get onside or offside doesn't really concern me. I also disagree that it achieves nothing, although I concede it doesn't achieve much. But again, that does not concern me.
ReplyDeleteThat's all fair enough, but actions speak loud than words. If I was younger I would think about running for council myself and try to stir things up from the inside, but I guess you have already been down that road. I worked at the City of South Perth for 13 years and left just before the entire council was sacked. Bridgetown council is in a worse state than they were. They need to be investigated.
ReplyDelete