With only a day before the election I’ve been thinking about what
an amazing journey I have been on these past few months. Although the
Blue Mountains City Council has left a sour taste in many mouths I
can at least say if nothing else I have made many new strong
friendships and done many things I never thought I would have to do.
I am proud to be part of a group that stood up to right an injustice
of greed and power. I am very impressed with the numbers of people
that have supported us in the Mountains and it just goes to show how
community and environment focused we all are.
I would like to thank you all for your support and the members of
BACG for being such an outstanding team. I would also like to thank
Brent for helping us out and being there from the beginning. He has
truly show he’s passionate commitment to the community and the
environment. I would especially like to thank Councilor Eleanor Gibbs
whom was our defender at the beginning and the only one to truly
stand up for the Blue Mountains Community by proposing the council
follows it’s own policies and to vote for Community Consultation.
She gave us a the drive to go the distance and is a great women whom
I admire, thanks EL.
One might think by the tone of this post that we are at an end? Well
you would be right! We are hopefully at a turning point with a new
beginning just round the corner with only a few of the current
councilors running for election. The community of the Blue Mountains
has an opportunity to start with a clean slate. A chance to start a
new council where community consultation is of a high priority and
not something you do when it’s convenient or come post event as a
box ticking exercise. Community Consultation should not be twisted
and bent to suit the means of an outcome. It should be accessible and
aimed at a broad range of people and user groups and be aimed at
achieving a best outcome for all.
The new council has an obligation to make sure what has happened to
the people of Blackheath doesn't happen again to anyone living on the
Blue Mountains. It has an obligation to review what has happened and
seek a stop work/sale of the site until alternatives have been
investigated, full independent reports are completed and made public.
And finally a FULL COMMUNITY CONSULTATION process has been put in
place prior to any approvals or recommencement of the project.
Anything less than this is a failure of leadership and a failure of
service to the community of the Mountains.
The new councilors should always remember they have an obligation to
serve the community that voted them in and should not be puppets to
the parties they support. Big party politics has no place at a
community level! And of course not be controlled by the managers of
the BMCC. The managers are there to serve the councilors not the
other way round as it currently stands.
All we are asking is that the council does the right thing by the
community they serve. I am feeling confident the new council will see
the error of the last and do the right thing by all of us. I would
like to wish the new councilors well and look forward to a new
beginning in the mountains.
