Risk assessments that were prepared by the consultants and council planning staff without any community involvement, opt for adoption of the worst-case sea-level rise projections.

The report concludes that the consequences of selecting “too low” projections are more significant than selecting “too high” projections. The consultants completely ignore the social and economic impacts of this recommendation.

I am reliably informed that the brief against which this report was prepared, made the task a simple “join the dots” exercise for the consultants.

The brief prepared by state government and council bureaucrats was so prescriptive that the outcomes were predetermined. Why has the general manager ignored my request for that brief to be released as part of the exhibition documents?

It should be no surprise that the Eurobodalla’s interim sea-level rise policy fits like a glove into the planning framework outlined in the report. If it is accepted, we can expect council planners to move for their interim policy to be rubber-stamped and incorporated in the final Eurobodalla coastal management plan.

The 6000 ratepayers who own property in a sea-level investigation area can look forward to the enforcement of highly punitive restrictions on their homes or commercial buildings. 

Those planning renovations or extensions will be forced to spend thousands of extra dollars on DAs and coastal engineering reports, and the negative effect on property values will resonate throughout the shire.

When are the mayor and his councillor support group going to start working in the interests of the community, instead of pandering to council planners with their own political agendas?

Ian Hitchcock

Dalmeny