Hinterland Grapevine - Forum to discuss links proposal

Acommunity information forum regarding the Montville Links Country Club development proposal will be held on Tuesday May 17 at 7pm sharp. The venue for the forum will be the Montville Community Hall, alongside the Village Green, Main Street. The forum follows a rather heated Montville Village Association meeting last month, where some blood pressures were raised and tempers flared.

So much so that Maroochy Shire Council Division One Councillor Greg Rogerson who is organising the forum, said he was keeping the Chairperson?s identity secret until the night.    ?I just don?t want the Chairperson to be pestered, form either side of the debate?, Cr Rogerson said.    ?The Chairperson will only be identified on the night when I introduce him/her to the gathered community.    I have endeavoured to choose someone who was oblivious to the proposed development, could demonstrate an unbiased and fair approach to proceedings and have nerves of steel.    Superman wasn?t available for Tuesday night, however I believe I?ve chosen the next best person?.   Cr Rogerson said that his role on the night was limited to introducing the Chairperson and laying down some general housekeeping rules, then leaving it up to the Chairperson in entirety.

The agenda will comprise a 30 minutes presentation from both sides, that will be broken into 15 minute alternating segments.    The toss of a coin will decide who starts.    Montville Links will be presenting three speakers ?for? the proposal and the Blackall Range Land Use Planning Association (BRLUPA) will field three speakers ?against? the proposal.

Following the speakers? presentations, the Chairperson will open 90 minutes of discussion in the form of questions and statements from the community.    ?Each question or statement should be succinct and to the point.    But I?m sure the Chairperson will control that properly,? said Cr Rogerson.

?The whole aim of the night is for the people of the Blackall Range to be educated on the pros and cons of the development, thereby enabling them to form an opinion either in support of or against the proposal.    The community has until May 27 to lodge a formal submission to Council on the proposal.

?I want to urge those people in favour and supportive of the proposal, as well as those opposed, to lodge a submission.    Mayor Joe Natoli and most, if not all the Councillors, will be in attendance on the night.    They will be present to listen intently to the public perceptions and scientific and professional reasoning.    This will enable Councillors to start to form opinions on the relevant information and dialogue exchanged on the night.    The people have to be vocal or put pen to paper to be heard?.   Cr Rogerson said people should put a spare couple of chairs in the boot of their car, just in case, because it is anticipated that ?every man and his dog? will want to take part on the night.

Remember the date and time for the Forum is next Tuesday, 17th May, commencing at 7pm sharp.

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

Sponsors