11 July, 2002

MEDIA RELEASE

GREENS CALL FOR COMMUNITY CONSULTATION ON WYLIES LAND LEASE

Randwick City Council has made a sudden decision to petition the State Government to allow Wylies Baths to lease more of Grant Reserve for a new "cafe/kiosk".

At this week’s Works Committee meeting the Mayor used a Mayoral Minute to delegate himself and the General Manager full authority to conclude the deal by themselves.

There will be no consultation between the community and elected Councillors on the decision - although the relevant Minister will still have to call for public submissions.

East Ward Greens Councillor Murray Matson says that the Council should have had to perform the community consultation. He said,

"Its’ no good having the Minister doing consulting. The community should have been able to have their say on this alienation of public land to their elected Councillors - after all, its the Councillors who have voted it through. "

Clr Matson said the Mayor’s minute had only been made available to him the day before the meeting allowing no time for consultation with his East Ward constituents.

Fellow Greens Councillor Judy Greenwood claims that the proposal will clash with a recent commitment by the Council to protect the site as part of a "fauna corridor".

Last week Mayor Dominic Sullivan announced (in "Regarding Randwick", 9-7-02) the receipt of a grant from the "Eastern region’s Green Web Action Committee to "...carry out important revegetation projects in the coastal fauna corridor." A section of this corridor is the same piece of land was described in the Report to council as having "no practical use".

Clr Greenwood said,

"Council can’t go accepting funding for the protection of fauna corridors one week, then casually allowing the building of a cafe in the same corridor the next week. The ALP won the last Council elections with a promise that a vote for them meant a ‘greener’ Randwick. The hypocrisy is quite clear."

The Works Committee meeting became emotionally charged during the debate with ALP Chairman Chris Bastic describing the Greens as "ignorant".

Clr Matson believes that Clr Bastic had a conflict of interest and should have not participated in the meeting. Clr Bastic has a dual role as chairman of the Wylies Baths Trust, which is seeking the extra land.

Clr Matson said,

"The Council meeting was hopeless with Clr Bastic in the chair as he could not emotionally disengage himself from his other role as chairman of the Trust.

The only community body that was consulted over this decision is the same Trust that also came up with the idea and who are represented on Council by the Chairman of the Committee that voted it through. If that is not a clear conflict of interest then nothing is."

Contact: Greens Councillor Murray Matson 9661-9413 Greens Councillor Judy Greenwood 9665