Coal, Power and Alumina Industry jobs are declining. Our children are leaving because there are no jobs. Where was the leadership over the last decade to prevent our town falling on hard times?
Instead of creating General Purpose Industrial land for business they were busy wasting resources on legal actions stopping the creation of jobs.
Outgoing President, Mr Sanford claims our council has spent a fraction of its budget for legal expenses. Let’s tally it up!
Costs should include countless weeks of work by staff to attend mediations, court dates, meetings with lawyers etc, as well as the actual legal costs rendered by McLeod’s, Algeri & Associates and others. Months on mediation in Perth with the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT), five day hearings before Senior Member Peter Mc Nab, again at SAT with Member More, losing in a 5 day trail with Magistrate Maughan, a partially successful appeal to Supreme Court Judge Martino and now defending an ongoing appeal to the Full Bench of the Supreme Court.
Our businesses have expended nearly one million dollars. Our lawyers tell us that Council’s expenses would be at least as big. How long must I tell people, we have no work for them? It’s now up to the people of Collie to take back control of their Shire Council so we can get some General Purpose Industrial land and create some jobs.
