08 June 2007
Call for inquiry into council's land dealings
Leslie White
GOLDEN BEACH: A Golden Beach landowner has called for an independent inquiry into methods used and prices paid by Wellington Shire Council to acquire land it owns in the Golden Beach area.
John Rafferty's call follows calls he received after an article on council's subdivision strategy appeared in the Greek newspaper Neos Kosmos.
"As a ratepayer I demand you initiate an independent audit of all land acquisitions going back to the start of the original restructure plan," Mr Rafferty told the Tuesday's council meeting.
"I stress the audit should be independent and transparent, it should show clearly the value of each block acquired by council at the time of acquisition and the price, if any, paid to the owner."
Mr Rafferty understands restructuring, or consolidation, of small blocks along the Ninety Mile Beach has been occurring since the 1980s. Councils have required restructuring prior to issuing permits to build.
Mr Rafferty said he had been contacted by a couple who had bought a beach block in the 1960s for 200 pounds at a time when average weekly wage was five pounds.
The couple claimed they received a letter in 2002 from council suggesting they give the block back to council in lieu of $1000 unpaid rates.
The pensioner couple would have done so but could not find the title, he said.
Council valuation on the last rates notice asserts the block is worth $12,000.
"How many blocks of significant value have council taken back for small rate debts?" Mr Rafferty asked.
"This is nothing to be proud of. This council cannot claim the moral high ground.
"I understand council owns a lot of land in the area - how did it acquire this land?
"How many blocks were taken from misinformed owners?"
Mr Rafferty told the Gippsland Times he was concerned at the idea council could acquire neighbouring blocks, consolidate the titles and sell them as a restructured lot.
"Council should not be acting as a real estate agent, I don't think it's right at all," he said.
If this was going out to the general public I would suggest that people who feel they have been treated poorly by Wellington Shire should get in touch with the ombudsman
ReplyDeleteGippsland Times are running another story in Tuesdays paper - it should make really interesting reading...
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