Decision questioned
Highlands Matters does not lie, does not tell porkies and does not mislead the community. These statements are in direct response to accusations made against Highlands Matters at the Wingecarribee Shire Council meeting on February 14, reported accurately in Southern Highland News on February 16. These criticisms were levelled at Highlands Matters in a situation where community members, who were threatened with expulsion from the gallery, had to sit there in silence.
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Highlands Matters has 2794 signatures on a petition: “We the undersigned do not support the concept design for Station Street Bowral NSW as exhibited by Wingecarribee Shire Council in 2017”. How many signatures is 2794? Well, it is a number equivalent to 27 per cent of adults in Bowral. But because the petition contains some signatures of people from outside Bowral, some councillors accuse Highlands Matters of being misleading.
Highlands Matters did not ask signatories for ID, it did not engage a team of forensic investigators to vet the petition. Simply, it has a petition where the number of signatures is equivalent to one in four voters in Bowral. Council has been telling the community for six months that 72 of 231 trees in Station Street will be retained. 231 minus 72 equals 159 trees removed.
Council’s agenda, a few days prior to council meeting, suggested that one or maybe two or possibly three pin oaks might be saved. But when Highlands Matters suggested that the proposed upgrade would cut down 159, or maybe 158, or perhaps 157, council was told that people are talking about the number of trees that are going, which are a straight out lie.
Highlands Matters has concerns about the decisions made by council last week. How proper was it to proceed to tender for construction of the upgrade when council has not been able to acquire some of the land it needs? How proper was it to proceed without a review of environmental factors or an environmental impact statement, even if council intends to self-approve?
Highlands Matters is being told to get out of the road, to let council get on with spending its NSW government grant, use it or lose it, then send the bill for the extra costs to the shire’s ratepayers. Next stop Macquarie Street.
Alan Olsen
Highlands Matters
To find out more about the petition email alan.olsen@spre.com.au
