EUROBODALLA Shire Council’s adoption of the South Coast Regional Sea Level Rise Planning and Policy Response Frame-work, prepared by Whitehead & Associates and Coastal Environment Pty Ltd on terms determined largely by council, is confirmation of its degraded governance standards and behaviour that have surfaced in spades in its interconnected claims for sea level rise projections and big rate rises.
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Tony Fitzgerald’s report on corruption in Queensland recorded that, “Institutions become corrupt or inefficient because of the attitudes of those who work within them . . . If the community is complacent, future leaders will revert to former practices”.
Councillors and professional staff should know their respective ethical decision-making duties.
But, just two councillors opposed this decision.
Regarding sea-level rise, there is every reason why the shire’s coastal zones management plans should be based on local conditions.
But council’s self-interest and fixation on its self-perpetuation demanded global benchmarks as proposed by W&A on council’s terms.
The current state government removed any legal uncertainties for council, and urged it to follow the advice of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer to use local tide gauge data.
Based on tide gauge readings over 130 years, South Coast sea-level rise should be about 0.63mm-0.94mm a year, or about 10cm/100 years.
Council continues to apply an unproven global rate of up to 1m/100 years, based on the flawed Framework Report.
It undermines any policy based upon it, which will result in heavy remedial and other costs for residents and ratepayers.
Neville Hughes
Surf Beach
