DATE: 18 JULY 2017
CC: AlanP@msc.qld.gov.au, NipperB@msc.qld.gov.au, KevinD@msc.qld.gov.au, MaryG@msc.qld.gov.au, AngelaT@msc.qld.gov.au, LenoreW@msc.qld.gov.au, TomG@msc.qld.gov.au, Peter@msc.qld.gov.au, brianm@msc.qld.gov.au, carle@msc.qld.gov.au, environment@ministerial.qld.gov.au, sdnrm@ministerial.qld.gov.au, Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au, barron.river@parliament.qld.gov.au, thepremier@premiers.qld.gov.au, Larissa.ferguson@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au, Michele.Bauer@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au, Karen.Oakley@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au, Steven.Tarte@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au
CC: KRPG Media List (20), KRPG KUR-Alert Community List (400)
To Mareeba Shire Councillors, Mayor
Your job is to represent the people who voted you in.
In 2012, the people loudly stated what they wanted in the extensive community engagement work, including the community plan and town plans that won Queensland and National awards.
The people have spoken.
MSC Councillors as representatives of ratepayers are charged with the responsibility to represent the opinions of ratepayers within the decision making process.
In the consultations for the TRC (and MSC Planning Schemes) in 2012 and the extensive community engagement undertaken for the Kuranda Town Plan the people have made our environmental values clear to Council and our desires for our Village in the Rainforest to remain a small village with a local community basis.
The decision which you are called upon to make at Council’s meeting of 19 July 2017 is an important one and deserves each Councillors complete knowledge of the issue prior to making a decision on our behalf. This decision involves a retrograde step in our town planning outcomes. If approved, the 2004 planning ideals will deny widespread community engagement from 2009-2012 and many subsequent community delegations to Council. If approved, Councillors will install a 2004 ideal in 2017, 13 years out of date with stated community ideals.
We ask MSC Councillors to either refuse the interim applications (ITEM-5, ITEM-7, ITEM-8) for development under the MSC2004 scheme or postpone deliberations until all Councillors are adequately well informed and capable of a sound decision on our behalf.
Should a refusal result in court action, the ratepayers request that MSC represent the community consultative processes in court and fight for the recognition of the content within the TRC2012. We acknowledge the recommendations of Council’s Senior Planner to approve the application or face possible court action, but we strongly request Council to stand up for the vast community consultation that has occurred since 2004 which should have been transferred through the planning scheme at the time of Council amalgamations between TRC and MSC. There are several other interested agencies (WTMA, QPWS, Terrain etc) who contributed valuably to the consultative process who should not be ignored either.
So, please consider either postponing your decision until Councillors have had the opportunity to be adequately informed by the community who they are charged to represent OR deny the application and represent the community views should a court action occur.
We await your urgent review.
Kuranda Region Planning Group