Press Release – March 16, 2018
Following is a press release sent to the Lakes Post by LEADA, in response to the East Gippsland Shire Council refusing to send a representative to the proposed Town Meeting this month.
LEADA postpones planned public meeting for six months after Shire refuses to attend.
LEADA has been in continuous discussion with the East Gippsland Shire over the past year in an increased effort to push for a more focussed approach to the current and future development of public spaces and facilities in Lakes Entrance.
LEADA, in co-operation with a group of Seniors from Lakes Entrance, felt there was a need for the EG Shire to follow a schedule of not just creating Plans and then shelving them, but to actually fullfil those plans in a transparent way.
The focus has been on the four major plans proposed for Lakes Entrance over the past 15 years. The Foreshore Management Plan, Bullock Island, CBD Town Square and the Entrance walk.
Three years ago there was a well attended community meeting, providing a forum for locals to have their say and air their thoughts and opinions. It is now time to review again, what has or has not been achieved and where we are now with the physical and economic development of Lakes Entrance.
We set out to hold a similarly well organised public meeting for 26th March inviting all involved government departments to sit on a panel to explain their contribution and answer direct questions from community members. It was to be chaired by Cr Dick Ellis.
It is profoundly disappointing that the Shire has decided not to attend this event, which was designed to provide overdue feedback to the community on the state of the 4 major iconic projects earmarked for Lakes Entrance, but until now, not started.
The Shire favours a series of individual ‘pop up’ meetings over the coming months designed to test community response in addressing the key short and long term issues facing Lakes Entrance.
The planned meeting has been postponed by 6 months in order to allow the EG Shire to effectively address all the issues raised and enact its community collaboration and transparency statement advised in 2017.
We encourage the Shire to concentrate effort on resolution of these pressing issues by assuring the community that substantial funds will be made available in 18/19 budget in addition to those funds allocated but unspent in 17/18.