Bungle shields submissions

Alex de Vos
A paperwork bungle has prevented Surf Coast Shire from giving the public access to submissions on a controversial plan to more than double Torquay’s population.
Speak Up For Spring Creek’s David Bell said he was “disappointed” but believed the shire had made a “genuine mistake”.
“I don’t think there’s anything suspect because the spotlight is on council at the moment and they can’t really afford to mess around with this process,” Mr Bell said.
He had met council officers this week to “discuss” the mistake.
Mr Bell said he was confident council would “consider all the submissions”.
“If they don’t, people have said to me there will be blood in council chambers.”
Mr Bell said the shire had failed to advise submitters its disclosure statement that their personal details could be shared.
The bungle prevented the sharing of personal information including the identification of proposal supporters such as developers.
“I think this will certainly see the shire tighten up the submission process in the future,” Mr Bell said.
Mayor Libby Mears said the shire had received legal advice about the disclosure statement.
“Disclosure of the submissions, including to the media, would be likely to be in breach of the relevant privacy legislation,” Cr Mears said.
“The problem has arisen because this has been an informal consultation process, not covered by the provisions of either the Local Government Act or the Planning and Environment Act,” Cr Mears said.
The shire was “disappointed” it could not release the submissions after more than two months of community consultation, she said.
“We wanted to make (this) as open as we could. However, the volume of submissions and the risk that their public availability might reveal details that could enable individuals to be identified means we have no real choice.”
Cr Mears said “initial examinations” of submissions had revealed common themes.
The shire would start submission hearings on March 30, she said.
“While it will not be possible to hear from all 2839 submitters, the council is working to ensure that as many views as possible are heard.”