RPDC incompetence

TO watch my local council in “action” for the first time was such an experience of wonder and amazement.

I’m sure if there was an item on the agenda for tying shoelaces it would be a full day meeting with numerous amendments and motions that would eventually result in someone wearing thongs.

West Tamar Council’s (WTC) meeting on November 15th was such an event.

The WTC sanctioned and organised “elector poll” came back with a clear verdict, yet the Mayor insisted on debate to push the poll to his personal way of thinking and after much mesmerising of all present the council’s position on the proposed pulp mill was that “it had no position”.

Amazing but true, we have a council that commissioned a poll and when the result was not what was wanted by council they knocked it on the head.

Is this democracy at work or dictatorship by stealth?

This is a high profile subject and council has blatantly ignored the electors who will now suffer them for another four years.

In other well ignored news, the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) touted by all to be fair and impartial has released the IIS for public comment.

This bulky, fragmented and obscure document seems to be designed to confuse all who peruse its volumes.

How can this be seen as community input?

The document was mailed out to me for my input on November 4th, arriving on November 8th.

On November 15th, an “inadvertently omitted” document dated November 14th from the IIS arrived for my edification. As community members we have until November 30th to have our say.

The RPDC, with all its experts, has been constructing this document at least since the proponents last input of August 26th.

With all its experts, it has taken 10 days to realise it has left out documentation that will impact on all Tasmanians for next 30 to 50 years.

The public now has only two weeks to read, decipher, collate, assemble information and deliver their input to the RPDC.

How in anyone’s wildest imagination could this be seen as “community input”?

Despite two letters to the RPDC on this matter, I am still yet to receive any acknowledgement let alone some coherent reply.

This sorry tale raises many questions such as, “If the RPDC can omit documentation and add it at its discretion, will this level of incompetence be accepted by the government?”

“Will the RPDC extend their community input deadline to allow for proper community input?”

“Will the proponent only have two weeks to respond to the IIS just like the community?”

“And lastly, when is intermission?”

The show must go on.

Dave Groves is loved by an awesome woman, is father of two adult children, loves our planet, its inhabitants (has misgivings about some of our more misguided souls), is an active member of TRAC (Tamar Residents Action Committee) and for the first time in his life feels like he is home (Tassie xox). After almost 44 years he is still alive! By all accounts a pretty lucky bloke!