Kim Taylor
Isn’t it wonderful to wake up each morning in beautiful Tasmania.
To be able to step outside your home, take a deep breath of fresh air and smell the pervasive stench emanating from every level of Tasmanian Government.
We have our prime agricultural land protected by Government’s PAL policy, or as I like to call it, the PIG policy. (Protecting the interests of Gunns). Which of course has been applied retrospectively, leaving members of the public who had purchased smaller blocks of land to build on, owning land they can do nothing with.
We have the Government’s EMPCA Legislation to protect our environment. Which is wonderful because it is an offence under EMPCA to cause environmental harm. (unless of course big business or the various levels of Government can make money from it).
The accompanying photos of fill being dumped into a waterway in the Waratah/Wynyard area, shows how much attention is paid to that legislation by the WW-Council.
The WW-Council also authorised fill to be dumped on my property (also over a waterway).
Failed to consult me at all, but then I’m only the landowner. I can of course take civil action over such, at my own expense naturally.
Then we have the RPDC Act. This Commission oversees the State’s planning system, is responsible for state of the environment reporting, assesses public land use issues and projects of state significance, and reviews water management plans. (a huge favourite that caters to all levels of government and big business).
Who the hell is the Tasmanian Government trying to kid here, not one of the above is designed to protect the Tasmanian Public or Their Environment.
On reading, they may appear to do that, but scratch beneath the surface or raise any of the points listed in these documents to try to protect anything in Tasmania and you’ll find a completely different interpretation of such thrown back in your face by all levels of Government.
Of course if the RPDC fails in its duties to the Tasmanian Public, we have the extremely level playing field of RMPAT to turn to.
This charming tribunal was originally set up as a way for members of the public to have planning decisions, usually those made by Local Government, re-examined by an independent body and possibly overturned.
It was meant to be a fairly informal process, with lawyers rarely present or needed. Now it is not only a lawyers’ circus, but is also chaired by the same.
If anyone wants to take a Local Government Planning Decision to RMPAT these days, they have to be prepared to spend a fortune on lawyers and so-called experts. I say so-called experts because in a RMPAT case over the use of a local road for quarry trucks, the same consulting firm had given totally conflicting reports for the same road, Oops!
It was at this same hearing that the Chairman was heard to ask the Counsel for Council “is that relevant?” when the subject of this particular road not being owned by the council that made the planning decision was raised by the appellants. God Help us!
Of course it is more than likely these days that members of the public lose these appeals, which can leave them open to being hit with the costs of such.
Whether it be a decision made over the Pulp Mill, Gunns, Forestry Tas or the Auspine fiasco, all levels of Tasmanian Government will conceal the real facts from the Tasmanian public.
Unfortunately the core of our wonderful Apple Isle is not only rotten, but is also crawling with maggots. (normally referred to as politicians)
Regards,
Kim Taylor
