LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

EDITOR -

Recently, a letter written by Messrs Albert and Venn of Palmwoods appeared in a local newspaper. Their letter needed a reply by me and I forward this as I assume the same letter will appear in your paper.

The Maroochy Shire Council has commissioned Gutteridge Haskins and Davey to develop a Local Area Plan for Palmwoods. This resulted from my motion for a Development Control Plan which I believe was needed in Palmwoods to ensure that the town was developed in the best possible way.

It’s a matter for the record that I lost the DCP but I gained Council’s support for the LAP. My support in council was in no way associated with nor influenced by, Messrs Albert’s and Venn’s Appeal Committee but by the need to properly plan the urban area of Palmwoods as designated in the Strategic Plan.

The draft strategic plan showed Palmwoods having an urban area of 368 hectares and 82 hectares of rural residential land. In the final plan, the urban area was reduced to 270 hectares, the rural residential deleted and 81 hectares was set aside for future urban. It is interesting to note that Mr Venn in his submission to council on the Draft Strategic Plan basically supported it and commended the cadastral approach. This indicates he was well aware of the area designated urban in Palmwoods. I wonder whether Mr Venn suffers from a touch of NIMBY.

I find Messrs Albert’s and Venn’s statement that the Strategic Plan will allow about another 8000 people to settle in Palmwoods and Woombye very misleading. The population of Palmwoods is estimated at 1427 and Woombye’s at 764. The Strategic Plan allows for an increase of about 2775 in Palmwoods and 2416 in Woombye.

A combined increased of about 5191 people for the two towns over the life of the Plan. Whether or not this projected increase will happen is anyone's guess but it must be planned for.

Messrs Albert and Venn make comment on the election results. Overall my support decreased by 5 percent but at the Woombye/Palmwoods polling booths, my support increased by 6 percent. No doubt, there are many reasons for this but I believe the main was the good campaign run by my opponent particularly in the Eudlo area.

Within the month the consultants will be contacting residents and community groups about the local area plan and I do urge residents to have their say, particularly those living with the confines of the actual township itself.