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
Moved J Buchan, seconded M Baker
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.