Politics is a dirty word

 We expect questions to be asked in the Victorian Parliament about reasons for the public being ignored by Bass Coast Council and the State Government over impacts of sand extraction operations, despite clear consultation requirements set out in the Regional Sand Extraction Strategy, Lang Lang to Grantville Shire planning officers have not enforced permit provisions on a sand extraction site being prepared in Stanley Road, Grantville. Bulldozer cuts removing native vegetation have been made right down into the Bass River, creating potential erosion and pollution problems particularly for platypus and blackfish. Council officers are aware of the importance of the vegetation on the site, part of an identified wildlife corridor and which forms part of the only remaining riparian forest on the Bass River. Continuous site clearing at all hours is causing noise pollution for residents and has displaced native wildlife including wombats, koalas and Lace Monitors. The sand extraction op...

  Victoria’s Council Watch organisation has advised that Shire  Councillors are prohibited under law (the local government act) from getting involved with or directing planning enforcement.  We  have always thought that the major role of a councillor was to ensure that council actions met all regulatory obligations. Without a specific role, there seems no point in wasting time or money voting in Shire elections. Councillors cost us millions of dollars each year. We had asked for advice on how to deal with a lack of enforcement of planning permit conditions by Bass Coast Shire Council and a refusal to implement the Regional Sand Extraction Strategy, Lang Lang to Grantville. Council Watch advised “this is the local government Act the current government put in during 2020 and it is not helping any of us!”