04/10/2023
Round three of the motorbike track saga was on the books again last week.
Lyn Jablonski
Story to date: In February 2021, a Development Application (DA) was lodged with the Narromine Shire Council after a bike track had been built on Old Backwater Road without any consultation with the proper authorities nor neighbours. This DA, lodged by Luke Harding, was rejected because of inconsistency with Council's zone objective, noise, scale and site design and no consideration of stormwater affecting neighbouring properties. The second DA was presented in August this year, which recommended that the Council reject the DA on similar grounds to the first. This time, Council engaged consultants who were experts in assessing a DA at a great expense to ratepayers. Four of the seven councillors voted to reject the recommendation without providing valid reasons for the rejection. They also asked for conditions to be set before approval is given.
Narromine Shire Council was then presented with 21 conditions prepared by an independent assessor, David Croft, to be considered by Council at the 2023September monthly meeting.
Longtime resident of Old Backwater Road, Joe Donelan, addressed the Council at the Public Forum before the meeting. He said that the motorbike track development will disturb the amenity of the neighbourhood by creating excessive noise, dust and stormwater issues and impact on Council's Local Strategic Planning Statement.
“We are extremely disappointed with the outcome of the August council meeting when Councillors Lalchlan Roberts, Les Lambert, Diane Beaumont and Casey Forrester voted against the recommendation of the independent professional consultant chosen by the Narromine council and paid for by ratepayers at great expense,” he said.
“We have grave concerns that the (four) councillors have not acted in good faith; they have rejected expert recommendations, demonstrated ‘rank hypocrisy’ and support for an individual who has shown complete contempt for rules and regulations and refused an offer of an amenable, inclusive alternative.”
Mr Donelan added that the track and the response from Councillors has caused a great divide in the Narromine community, which impacts individuals and families.
When Item 3 of the Community and Economic Development Report was discussed at the latest meeting in September, Cr Roberts moved a motion to accept the conditions. He then eliminated them and replaced all the conditions with his four preferred options.
Narromine Shire Council general manager Jane Redden advised Cr Roberts that administrative conditions come with DAs, and these cannot be changed. “I suggest we defer the item until the October monthly meeting, which would allow the independent consultant to attend, ” Mrs Redden said.
During the discussion, there was no mention of these motorbikes' CCs (cubic capacity) in the conditions nor if adults would be using the track.
Mayor, Cr Craig Davies advised that Cr Roberts needed a seconder for his motion, which was not forthcoming.
Cr Ewen Jones said it was in all parties' best interest to postpone voting on the recommendation until the October council meeting when the independent consultant would answer questions or give further advice. He moved to that effect.
Cr Adine Hoey agreed, "We need to take direction from the experts who have the best interest of the Narromine people.
This was overruled by Cr Lambert, who spoke against the motion, saying that the councillors had enough information on the conditions and added, “We need to get this off the books once and for all.”
Cr Roberts then stated that there was no need for a DA. “The simplicity of the land prior to the dirt being moved for the bike track is clear; there is no need for vegetation or a DA.” He added that the track was simply to rip and tear around. Community observation of the track confirms it is much more involved to almost a professional motorbike rider level.
Photographs on Luke Harding’s page show how large and complex this motorbike track is and show the need for trees and vegetation for a buffer zone.
The motion put forward by Cr Jones was lost.
Cr Lambert moved the standing motion in the business paper with some changes to Conditions 4 and 6.
Cr Roberts said, “I would love to make an amendment (to the original recommendation) and remove No 3 condition, “This condition limited who could use the track and included residents, family and the residents and no organised or publicised events.”
He added that he would like to remove a further nine conditions. Cr Roberts did not get a seconder. He then effectively piggybacked on Cr Lambert's amendments and spoke against the motion to exclude Condition No 3.
Cr Roberts maundered on about a number of other conditions, particularly about the landscaping and the height of the trees to be planted as being 3 to 12 metres around the perimeter. He was corrected and made aware that that height referred to the mature height of the trees. He did not see the purpose of landscaping and wanted to have those conditions removed.
The Director of Community and Economic Development, Phill Johnson, pointed out that these conditions were part of the landscaping plan, forming part of the bike track's DA. “This plan has already been submitted with the DA and approved,” Mr Johnson said.
Confused? Mayor Davies said he found it difficult to understand whether or not Cr Roberts was speaking for or against the amendments. Not only was Cr Davies a little confused, but the motorbike track's proponents appeared to be a little bewildered by their champion, Cr Roberts.
The question remains, is it time for the Council to tighten its council meeting procedures and return to the correct way of addressing the Council and not allow councillors to ramble on particularly to suit their own agenda?
Sometime after the meeting concluded, it was discovered that Cr Lambert had used the word bicycles instead of motorbikes when he moved the recommendation to accept the conditions for the motorbike track. It was condition 6. Where he made a mistake. The Council called an Extraordinary meeting for Monday 25 September. Cr Lambert moved a motion to correct his mistake, which was then voted on and passed, with Ewen Jones voting against the motion.
To accept
Round three of the motorbike track saga was on the books again last week.
Lyn Jablonski
Story to date: In February 2021, a Development Application (DA) was lodged with the Narromine Shire Council after a bike track had been built on Old Backwater Road without any consultation with the proper authorities nor neighbours. This DA, lodged by Luke Harding, was rejected because of inconsistency with Council's zone objective, noise, scale and site design and no consideration of stormwater affecting neighbouring properties. The second DA was presented in August this year, which recommended that the Council reject the DA on similar grounds to the first. This time, Council engaged consultants who were experts in assessing a DA at a great expense to ratepayers. Four of the seven councillors voted to reject the recommendation without providing valid reasons for the rejection. They also asked for conditions to be set before approval is given.
Narromine Shire Council was then presented with 21 conditions prepared by an independent assessor, David Croft, to be considered by Council at the 2023September monthly meeting.
Longtime resident of Old Backwater Road, Joe Donelan, addressed the Council at the Public Forum before the meeting. He said that the motorbike track development will disturb the amenity of the neighbourhood by creating excessive noise, dust and stormwater issues and impact on Council's Local Strategic Planning Statement.
“We are extremely disappointed with the outcome of the August council meeting when Councillors Lalchlan Roberts, Les Lambert, Diane Beaumont and Casey Forrester voted against the recommendation of the independent professional consultant chosen by the Narromine council and paid for by ratepayers at great expense,” he said.
“We have grave concerns that the (four) councillors have not acted in good faith; they have rejected expert recommendations, demonstrated ‘rank hypocrisy’ and support for an individual who has shown complete contempt for rules and regulations and refused an offer of an amenable, inclusive alternative.”
Mr Donelan added that the track and the response from Councillors has caused a great divide in the Narromine community, which impacts individuals and families.
When Item 3 of the Community and Economic Development Report was discussed at the latest meeting in September, Cr Roberts moved a motion to accept the conditions. He then eliminated them and replaced all the conditions with his four preferred options.
Narromine Shire Council general manager Jane Redden advised Cr Roberts that administrative conditions come with DAs, and these cannot be changed. “I suggest we defer the item until the October monthly meeting, which would allow the independent consultant to attend, ” Mrs Redden said.
During the discussion, there was no mention of these motorbikes' CCs (cubic capacity) in the conditions nor if adults would be using the track.
Mayor, Cr Craig Davies advised that Cr Roberts needed a seconder for his motion, which was not forthcoming.
Cr Ewen Jones said it was in all parties' best interest to postpone voting on the recommendation until the October council meeting when the independent consultant would answer questions or give further advice. He moved to that effect.
Cr Adine Hoey agreed, "We need to take direction from the experts who have the best interest of the Narromine people.
This was overruled by Cr Lambert, who spoke against the motion, saying that the councillors had enough information on the conditions and added, “We need to get this off the books once and for all.”
Cr Roberts then stated that there was no need for a DA. “The simplicity of the land prior to the dirt being moved for the bike track is clear; there is no need for vegetation or a DA.” He added that the track was simply to rip and tear around. Community observation of the track confirms it is much more involved to almost a professional motorbike rider level.
Photographs on Luke Harding’s page show how large and complex this motorbike track is and show the need for trees and vegetation for a buffer zone.
The motion put forward by Cr Jones was lost.
Cr Lambert moved the standing motion in the business paper with some changes to Conditions 4 and 6.
Cr Roberts said, “I would love to make an amendment (to the original recommendation) and remove No 3 condition, “This condition limited who could use the track and included residents, family and the residents and no organised or publicised events.”
He added that he would like to remove a further nine conditions. Cr Roberts did not get a seconder. He then effectively piggybacked on Cr Lambert's amendments and spoke against the motion to exclude Condition No 3.
Cr Roberts maundered on about a number of other conditions, particularly about the landscaping and the height of the trees to be planted as being 3 to 12 metres around the perimeter. He was corrected and made aware that that height referred to the mature height of the trees. He did not see the purpose of landscaping and wanted to have those conditions removed.
The Director of Community and Economic Development, Phill Johnson, pointed out that these conditions were part of the landscaping plan, forming part of the bike track's DA. “This plan has already been submitted with the DA and approved,” Mr Johnson said.
Confused? Mayor Davies said he found it difficult to understand whether or not Cr Roberts was speaking for or against the amendments. Not only was Cr Davies a little confused, but the motorbike track's proponents appeared to be a little bewildered by their champion, Cr Roberts.
The question remains, is it time for the Council to tighten its council meeting procedures and return to the correct way of addressing the Council and not allow councillors to ramble on particularly to suit their own agenda?
Sometime after the meeting concluded, it was discovered that Cr Lambert had used the word bicycles instead of motorbikes when he moved the recommendation to accept the conditions for the motorbike track. It was condition 6. Where he made a mistake. The Council called an Extraordinary meeting for Monday 25 September. Cr Lambert moved a motion to correct his mistake, which was then voted on and passed, with Ewen Jones voting against the motion.
