Bega Valley Shire Council has been accused of telling Merimbula residents that providing feedback on controversial changes to the central business district was a waste of time because it was going to happen anyway.
The explosive allegation made during the public forum at the council’s monthly meeting yesterday afternoon follows the completion of a community consultation process on the matter.
Chamber of Commerce President Rachel Whittaker told the meeting doesn’t give business owners much confidence they are being listened to.
“When our Chamber, sub-committee Chamber members go and speak with the engineers as they did last week who basically said we don’t care what the community outcome is where just going to do what we were going to do in the first place. Those sorts of things are really hard for our Chamber members to hear,” Ms Whittaker said.
The meeting was told a report is currently being prepared detailing the public feedback received during the consultation process.
The Office Choice operator said blocking some vehicular access to the CBD and shifting some parking spots is not on.
“I don’t want parking removed from the immediate place it is in because if you are in a wheelchair or in a walker, which a lot of our customers are in Merimbula, we have an aged society there,” Ms Whittaker said.
“They can’t walk a mile, sorry a kilometre, up to where the proposed extension of the car parks is,” she said.
Deputy Mayor Mitchell Nadin moved a motion to dump a trial of the new traffic arrangements in favour of road upgrades and town beautification instead but this was rejected by the vast majority of his colleagues.
Local cafe owner Mark Bates told the council…he can’t find any local support to cut off the heart of town.
“Overwhelmingly every single business I was able to speak to was against council’s proposed plans to restrict access to the Merimbula CBD at the southern end and make Beach Street one way,” Mr Bates said.
“Opinions were that both streets must remain two-way accessible as it currently stands,” he said.
He has told the councillors everyone he has spoken to thinks all they are doing is moving the problem down the road.
“Even most likely make the situation worse as it forces all traffic going through the CBD or east of the CBD where there is 200 plus parks, to go through two roundabouts and either a main street pedestrian crossing at Aldi’s or one of the two proposed pedestrian crossings on Market Street under the new council proposal.” he said.
Debate will continue once the community consultation report is provided to an upcoming council meeting with councillors told by Director Andrew Latta that time is fast running out to deliver the project within the timeframes set down in a deed with the Federal Government, who is funding the work.
He said a request for tender had already been issued for the works to avoid any further delays.
