Contributors to the debate surrounding the public consultation for the draft Nielson Park Land Management Plan appear to be confused as to the scope of consultation according to Bundaberg Regional Council Health and Regulatory Services Portfolio Spokesperson Cr. Wayne Honor.
“There is a clearly defined consultation period which commenced with the placement of advertising on Saturday, November 3 and which will close on Monday, December 17,” said Cr. Honor.
“People need to be quite clear that the consultation process is an invitation for the general public to make written submission regarding the proposed plan,” he said.
Cr. Honor said some recent Facebook postings gave an impression that the “survey” involved in the consultation process is some form of popularity vote on the success or failure of markets to be incorporated in the plan.
“The management plan is about land use and nothing to do with the operation of markets.”
Cr. Honor said that as the focus was on land use there is no need for traffic management plans or traffic surveys. “If markets are ultimately deemed a suitable use for the precinct then those sorts of surveys would take place in a future stage of development.”
“The outcome of the management plan is not an approval process for markets to commence. It may be a determination that they are or are not a permitted use.”
Cr. Honor said that if markets are considered an appropriate use then Council could examine the terms, conditions and controls under which they operate.
“It would only be after all these issues were addressed that Council would conduct a formal process to invite applications and identify interested operators.”
Cr. Honor suggested anyone who wished to gain first hand information on the Management Plan should visit a Council information booth located near the Surf Life Saving Club on Sunday 09 December from 09:00am to 12:00 noon.
He urged all interested residents to go to the Council’s website at www.bundaberg.qld.gov.au and locate the Neilson Park Land Management survey and provide a submission.