At the last September meeting, Tweed shire Crs Barry Longland, Warren Polglase and Carolyn Byrne rejected investigation of a new permanent site for the Pottsville & District Men’s Shed.
Instead they approved a licence for the men’s shed to start building at the temporary Black Rocks sports field site.
You have to wonder why, when it will cost the men’s shed money to have to move again once the temporary lease is up in five years.
All that wasted public grant money – for what? So older, disabled men can be in a remote location, far from town where there is a history of hoons, vandals and arsonists?
Why did council use ratepayers’ funds to pay for the DA for this development? Why is council favouring a small group of men over any other worthy group to use community land without consulting the community?
Could there be a more nefarious reason?
Like council planning to put a road through Black Rocks sports field to serve a new housing development at Dunloe Park in the future?
Why is Overall Drive the width of a highway? No other roads of that width exist in subdivisions like this. It is highly unlikely that Kellehers Rd will be the connector road to the coast for 6,000 people at Dunloe Park.
Once the sports field is open for development (enter the men’s shed) more development can follow, such as a road.
The Dunloe Park developer would save millions by not having to provide a sports field. Will political donations be made to ensure this? Who can say?
Daniele Voinot, Lillian Rock
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