Council in Brief – September

Motions tabled from the Special Electors’ Meeting – 14 September

Council, at its September Ordinary Council meeting, considered three motions from the Special Meeting of Electors held on 14 September 2018. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the repayment of monies provided to Cr M Scott and ex-CEO Mr Sheedy to obtain legal advice and to retain legal representation to pursue cases for defamation against Shire residents.

The three motions put forward were:

Revoke the approved funding of legal action related to alleged defamation; That no further rate payers’ money is spent on related legal costs; and That amended sections of policy 1.5 Legal Representation Costs and Indemnification Councillors and Employees be reinstated. Council received the first motion but noted it was not actionable as the service had been delivered and the funds expended. Similarly, in relation to the second motion, there is no desire to spend any funds on legal issues but where a response is required or officers are diverted to related actions, such as attending a meeting or replying to an email, there are opportunity costs. In regard to the third motion, a commitment was made on 25 July to review this policy. It should be noted that the amendments referred to did not remove any section of the policy but instead re-located them to another section (from section 7 to section 3). Structure Plan Amendment – Dalyellup Beach Estate – Modification No. 14 – Lot 9105 Harewoods Road, Dalyellup

An amendment to the Structure Plan for Lot 9105 Harewoods Road, Dalyellup Beach Estate was considered and debated by Council. The amendment proposed 143 residential lots, regional and public open space, as well as community and recreational purposes sites. This amendment proposed to significantly reduce the previously listed tourism precinct from 14 to 1.8 hectares and this factor, as well inconsistency with liveable neighbourhood principles and policy as a bushfire prone area, led to Council declining the amendment. Council’s Decision will inform the WA Planning Commission, which will now make the final determination.

Local Structure Plan – Lot 4422 Weld Road, Capel

Council approved the proposed Local Structure Plan for future residential subdivision of Lot 4422 Weld Road, Capel. The Structure Plan seeks to facilitate the development of 20 residential lots at R5 density, a 20m wide road reserve, a 10m wide landscape buffer and potential drainage basin locations. Council’s Decision will inform the WA Planning Commission, which will now make the final determination.

 Local Structure Plan – Lot 2 Prowse Road, Capel

Council approved the Local Structure Plan to facilitate 24 residential lots, Public Open Space and Local road reserve at the south-west portion of the Capel Townsite, west of ‘Goodwood Estate.’ Council’s Decision will inform the WA Planning Commission, which will now make the final determination.

Adoption of Shire of Capel Drainage Strategy 2018

Council adopted the Shire of Capel Drainage Strategy 2018 and accepted the Management Actions for inclusion in the Long Term Financial Plan.

Capel Civic Precinct (Stage 4) – Youth & Community Facility

Council agreed to review the Capel Civic Precinct project and address the undeveloped space of Stage 4 by:

Reallocating $180,000 for works to complete Stage 3, upgrade the existing BMX pump track and tidy up interfaces between Stages 3, 3A and 4 in 2018/19; Cancelling the remaining grant funding agreement with Lotterywest; Cancelling the existing grant funding agreement with Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Returning $61,654 to the Commonwealth’s Building Better Regions Fund (Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science) for grant funds claimed; Renegotiating grant funding agreement with Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Adjusting the Long Term Financial Plan to reflect this decision; and Reviewing the youth, community and business demands for Capel into the future.

Ian McCabe  – Chief Executive Officer