
These are my own personal views. I do not purport to speak on behalf of Council. Decisions of Council are made only by majority vote, legislative authority or under authority delegated by Council. – Councillor Amanda Hay
A great start to the new year – no tornados, cyclones, bushfires or other natural disasters!
Plenty of news since my last column, starting with a new application MCU24/174 for a Retirement Facility at 24-34 Macdonnell Road (the white plastic fence). No details as yet.
The inoperable elevator at the rear of the cafes and medical facilities on Main Western Road has been reported to Council. It is now up to the body corporate to take action to voluntarily return the lift to an operational state; even more essential now that the TMMP medical practice at Eagle Heights has closed and the lift has now been vandalised.
The proliferation of Air B’n’Bs, tiny “homes” including “off grid” (read Air B’n’Bs), granny flats etc is disappointing. The majority of calls to Council’s Planning Section are enquires along the lines of “If I buy the property at XYZ, what can I do with it?” usually followed by a stated desire to subdivide, add a second “dwelling”, strata title, duplexes, glamping etc. What happened to buying a property here because it is a bloody good place to live, raise children, grow older in retirement and enjoy a slower lifestyle? It seems the pursuit of the almighty buck by developers has superseded commonsense – there is only so much development the Mountain can accommodate.
Dog re-registrations are now overdue. Please re-register your dog/s immediately and avoid compliance action.
The very contentious Facebook post by Council in December on the topic of landowners’ responsibilities to manage the flow of overland waters resulted in over 100 negative comments. Watch this space.
QCAT action against your neighbour (on land zoned Rural) for having the audacity to have trees which block your view of the Gold Coast – do your research before you alienate your neighbours and commence actions which may have lasting consequences. It is the Mountain – we have trees – they grow.
Vandalism – keying of Volvo vehicle at Eagle Heights near Staffsmith Park. Police involved. If you have any information, please contact QPS or me and I will pass the info on. There is a camera there. Make your parents proud and come forward before you are identified.
Unlawful landuse – german shepherd breeding. Current compliance action – we had one of these on the Mountain that caused grief for 3 years, this will not be tolerated.
Clearing of core Koala Habitat and incursion into the adjoining reserve – hopefully a monumental fine will be imposed. Arrogance in the extreme. Oh, for the ability to name and shame!
Absentee owners and overgrown properties – several complaints received re the overgrown and weed-infested state of vacant land. Owners will be contacted, following a site inspection, and required to take remedial action. Anyone who has experienced an incursion of weeds including running bamboo from a neighbouring property feel free to contact me.
Illegal dumping – we have some grubs who just can’t be bothered to make it the vast distance to the tip on Knoll Rd. Please keep an eye open for illegal dumping, record number plates and vehicle descriptions. There are 2 favoured sites; one of them now has a camera.
Building approvals – please read this BEFORE you undertake any work on your property: Table 1: Building projects that require a building development approval See: Community Advice Templates re Building Approvals (Domestic) on Council’s website. This covers everything from shipping containers to Bali huts.
…and on a happy note to end 2024, the latest Office of the Independent Assessor complaint against me for suspected misconduct was finalised with “no further action” to be taken. It seems declaring possible Conflicts of Interest is being carefully monitored by someone with an axe to grind. The OIA determined that: “Based on the available information, a $250 helicopter ride does not in and of itself raise a prescribed or declarable conflict of interest in matters that involve Scenic Rim Developments. The OIA acknowledges your measured approach in dealing with this potential conflict of interest having erred on the side of over rather than under declaring the perceived conflict.” If a similar complaint is made against me, I have requested that the OIA consider deeming the complainant vexatious.
Better still, the rumour doing the rounds that I am about to resign as Councillor is unfounded. The person spreading same has been spoken to.
“the best indicator of future behaviour is past behaviour” source: unknown.