TUROSS
HEAD PROGRESS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED
Draft
MINUTES OF October 7th 2010 AGM
Held at Tuross Head Progress Hall – Jutland Ave, Tuross
Head
The meeting preceded the October bi-monthly meeting of the Association
with Michael Johnson in the Chair
18
people signed the attendance register and 0 apologies were received
Adoption
of the minutes of the 2009 Annual General meeting
The
minutes of the meeting of Thursday 1st October, 2009 were read
by the secretary and adopted
The Secretary then read his report which is as
follows:
This
last year has seen some excellent actions take by THPA from improving
communication between Council and the community and also ensuring
that, through the THPA, the community are given a voice.
Membership
has increased and interest in the THPA is strong. Whilst it is
understood that residents aren’t always able to attend meetings
the meeting agendas and minutes now go out to over 700 residents
to ensure that everyone is equally advantaged with informed ,
inclusive and timely communication.
The
THPA has been instrumental in establishing improved dialogue with
Council on behalf of the residents of Tuross and it is hoped that
this will improve further with Council wishing to participate
in improved consultation and transparency.
The
strength of the THPA rests on its base of signatories as it is
vital that it represent the opinions and needs of the community.
With improved consultation and a doubling of membership this representation
of the wider community is hopefully now assured.
The
President then Read his report
Tuross
Head Progress Association
President’s Report 7th October, 2010
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
It has been a year marked, as usual, with frustration as we try
to deal with council and try to get things to happen. In spite
of all the marketing language used by our council the truth is
that the council is still extremely slow to re-act to public concerns,
still extremely opaque in their dealings with the community and
still an extremely expensive operation to run with, at best, very
poor outcomes for the community as a general rule.
After
a long council imposed delay to the cycleway project some work
has been done. Twelve months ago we were shown plans by the council
for the pathway full of details regarding siting of the cycleway,
retaining walls, boardwalks etc etc. The present situation is
that the council actually does not have a completed plan for the
cycleway, that there are problems and concerns still to be sorted
with regards to the siting and construction of the pathway and
once again the volunteer group is in limbo as to when and where
the cycleway will be resumed.
To
me the council has a pre-natural talent at making simple, easy
projects into complicated and difficult ones. The unfortunate
thing about that is the complicated, difficult ways are usually
the most expensive and it also makes it difficult to keep a good
volunteer team together.
Some
time ago the council asked us to start thinking about which of
our two halls, the Progress Hall and Kyla Hall, we wanted to keep
as council could not continue to maintain both. This position
by the council is difficult to understand as they do very little
maintenance on either. Then we found that Kyla Hall is so riddled
with white ants that it has been condemned and nobody is allowed
to use it. The council then very generously facilitated a meeting
of concerned users to discuss how we could use this “opportunity”
to re-model and re-design the hall.
Let me say just a few things on this. We have never received any
iron-clad assurances from the council that monies received from
the sale of either hall will be returned to Tuross exclusively.
The council resumed Kyla Hall by making it so difficult and complicated
for the community to run it that became too difficult and complicated
for the community to run it.
The
hall was built by the local community and was totally unencumbered
when council took it over. As such it was a valuable and functional
community assets.
In
the eight years under council control it became under-utilised
and fell into such a ruinous state that it now a value-less and
totally non-functioning facility.
I
believe that the council owes us one hall to be paid for by council.
I believe that the council has proven beyond any question that
they are totally unqualified and incapable of being property managers
and must therefore return the hall back into community care and,
as a consequence, remove any legislative and/or council regulations
that will impede this process.
And
this is not just a one off. The same case could be made for most
of the assets that the council has resumed throughout the shire,
from the Tuross tennis courts to the Durras skate park.
Twenty
years ago we were told that unless we paid the best we could not
hope to attract the best. Well we are now paying very generously
and seeing little to no return. Employing and paying for the brightest
and giving them the best conditions should result in reduced rates
and better facilities. Just as any corporation paying big money
for a good CEO expects an improvement in investors returns and
improved performance and economies so do the ratepayers expect
better services and improved economies from our corporate structured
council.
My
opinion and the observable facts point to the actual reverse of
that outcome.
Our
community developed assets are either in ruin or on their way.
There
is no money for any community work or, if there is, there is nowhere
near enough money to even start anything up. If you want it you
will have to raise the money yourself and then engage the council
to build it, with much difficulty and expense, for us.
And
yet the council has money for trips away, cars, computers, office
extensions, more management and more staff and an endless number
of committees looking into better ways to rule our lives, but
no money for the more trivial matters such as life savers at our
beaches to ensure our safety, and indeed our lives, and the lives
of our families and friends.
Being
involved with this organisation means being involved with the
council. Being involved with the council is a very frustrating
experience. I do not do this for money or glory because there
is none. I do this because I love my town and because this is
what I have always done. I expect assistance and help from this
council who are paid to do exactly that.
I
do not expect well paid employees of the shire, paid for with
my rates, to treat our town, our shire, our assets and our organisations
with contempt.
In
this last year the council has refused to reply to any correspondence
from the Association regarding how the hall was allowed to fall
into ruin.
The
council has refused the association’s repeated requests
to be informed as to the progress and construction time-line for
the community cycleway and this is in spite of meetings with council
staff who promised faithfully to do so.
The
association has been misled by council over the status of the
progress hall and the land involved. The council has put the local
businesses and town’s tourist trade in jeopardy through
their unconscionable behaviour regarding the life guards.
To
me it is clear that the senior executive of council has their
own agenda that relates directly to their own career and how they
can further it through local, state and federal governments and
that the Eurobodalla Shire will become just another asterix on
their CV. Nothing that they have produced to date is innovative
or original. If it goes wrong it is due to outside influences
out of their control and if it goes right they will claim all
the credit regardless of how little they have contributed to the
outcome.
Believe
me when I say that I do not take this position lightly. I take
this position against the council from the experiences I have
had with this council. They are the major reason for the low levels
of employment and pay levels in this community. In spite of all
the money paid to them their performance is not only sub-par it
is subterranean.
If
you want me to be your president I would be with great pride,
but I will no longer kow-tow to the council in any fashion or
forum.
If
you are going to endorse me as your President I thought you should
know exactly how I feel about the present incarnation of our council.
And
on a lighter note………..
I would like to thank the members of the committee for all of
their hard work over the year. In particular, of course, Lei Parker
who has done an extraordinary amount of work on and for our behalf
and has graciously consented to continue. Lei has a very big heart
and his efforts on behalf of his community are gratefully acknowledged.
Joan
Buchan has faithfully served this association for an extraordinarily
long time as treasurer and has looked after this hall with a passion
and understanding that no employee of a council could ever understand,
much less achieve.
Maureen
Baker has really given of herself for this community for as long
as she has been here and who represents to the council on our
behalf whenever called upon to do so and, even, sometimes, without
being called upon to do so.
And
lastly, and by no means least, Stafford Dickson who has been here
since Moses was a little boy and has given and given to and for
his community. Thank you Stafford for all your work and good deeds.
Our town has been made better because of your contribution and
I am sorry that you will not be standing for the committee again,
but I understand how much energy that you have put into your work
and responsibilities and that the batteries need a bit of a re-charge.
Treasurer’s
Report
Mr
Anthony O’Reilly, Honorary Auditor, had provided audited
financial statements which were read by the Treasurer to the meeting
and adopted on the motion of the Treasure and seconded by M Baker
Two
copies of the report were distributed to the meeting for perusal.
A copy of the financial statements is appended to the Minutes
and form part thereof
The
annual return will be lodged with the figures provided
Election
of Officers
Mr
D Burns Assumed the chair for the election of officers. The following
members who were duly nominated and seconded were declared elected
unopposed for the following positions:
President
: Michael Johnson
Senior
Vice president : Maureen Baker
Treasurer
; Joan Buchan
Secretary
: Lei Parker
The
role of Public Officer will remain with the Secretary
Publicity
Officer (informal position) : Lei Parker
The
position of Jnr Vice president, being vacant saw no nominations
The
Jnr Vice President for 2010/2011 remains Vacant
The
new Executive then took to their seats
General
Business:
The meeting expressed appreciation to the past Snr Vice president,
Mr Stafford Dixon. The Meeting also expressed thanks to the Honorary
Auditor Mr Anthony O’Reilly.
The
meeting closed at 7:40pm.
To
read the minutes of the General meeting that commences the year
October 2010 to August 2011 click
here