About Monash Council's consultation process
Skip to menuMonash Council is holding what they call a “stakeholder workshop” on Thursday, 15th February from 3.00 PM to 8.30 PM. The afternoon will be conducted by independent consultants who will explain the four options the council are considering for the pool site and then, I suppose, facilitate discussion. CLAG has been invited to attend, along with at least 60 other groups. The groups include sporting groups, schools, kindergartens, State government departments, ORC sporting groups, Genesis Gym, senior citizen groups and various other residents' groups. Two members from each group can attend but given the awkward time of the workshop attendance will be limited to those groups who are really keen to express an opinion and those groups who can fit into the time constraints. If you are a member of any group you believe should have been invited, email me at info@clag.net.au.
My view is that the people of Oakleigh and surrounds are the major ‘stakeholders’ and that the council should have organised a couple of public meetings if they couldn’t recognise the depth of feeling in the community after our public meeting last August. However, we have to work with what we have. The council will be having three ‘community sessions’ in February and March. Information booths will be set up in Eaton Street Mall, the Oakleigh Recreation Centre and at the Oakleigh Festival, and the same consultants who ran the stakeholder workshop will canvass responses to the pool options from the public.
At Question Time in last night’s council meeting Monash Council was asked if it was open to suggestions of a fifth option which includes retaining and refurbishing the existing pool facilities. I thought you would be interested in the reply given:
The Steering Committee has attempted to provide options that cater broadly for the community. Some of the options are better able to cater for the broader age demographics than others.
The purpose of the consultation is to canvass community responses to the four options. Whilst Council is not putting forward a fifth option, the consultation process will allow for consideration of all community feedback. Council would encourage any other well considered views to be put forward.
