HAWKESBURY DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION
15 June 2012 - Having not got the answers they want about the Windsor Bridge, the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) have been caught paying for comments about their plans for Windsor.
Outrage is growing as the RMS, last Wednesday night, shut down the community forum on Windsor Bridge.
Following countless hours of dedicated contribution to the RMS Community Consultation Forum, participants were told they were no longer needed.
Whilst the announcement had been flagged some days earlier in an email to Focus Group members it was still part of a shocking and emotional final meeting.
Things boiled over after the early departure of Councillor Bob Porter and some friends due to Councillor Porter’s admitted preference to watch the State of Origin rather than be at the meeting.
The RMS was asked to explain to the group about another consultation they had been engaged in.
Under questioning RMS officers admitted they had paid some ‘randomly selected’ locals for their opinion about the bridge project.
When further questioned they said they did not want to talk to people who had previously written to papers or to them and made comments, but then said there were a couple of ‘familiar faces’ at what CAWB member Rob Lewry later described as ‘secret consultations’.
RMS officers admitted that, despite the long-standing commitment by all members of the Focus Group, unlike the ‘secret group’ they would not be paid and had not been extended the courtesy of being told another group of people had been invited to a separate, invitation-only feedback meeting.
Matters only became worse when an RMS representative described the public focus group as ‘elitist’.
This description infuriated Focus Group member Nina McVey who reminded the RMS the Focus Group was made up of ordinary locals who were trying desperately to get a better solution for Windsor.
After the meeting Nina went on to say “It’s a bit rich. They have a private meeting where participants are paid and then call us elitist. This is just un-Australian.”
It was revealed the ‘secret group’ was made up of probably less than 40 people. It was also pointed out during a heated exchange there were tens of thousand of people in the Hawkesbury who would give the RMS their advice free of charge.
Community members who have given so many hours of their own time to helping the RMS to try and deliver a better project for Windsor were furious.
“This is terribly disappointing,” CAWB Chair, Dail Miller said. “We have worked endlessly on behalf of the people of the Hawkesbury to try and turn this terrible project around and deliver a proper solution for the community.
They have not listened to us and now we find they are ringing people up and offering to pay them to talk about the project. What on earth is going on?”
Local businesswoman, Megan Wood agrees. “The whole consultation process has been a sham,” she says, “We feel really used. We give up hours and hours of our time because we want something better for our community. This group, after a single session get an envelope full of cash and we get summarily dismissed because we are not giving the RMS the feedback they require to push their agenda through. “
Passions ran particularly high when local resident, Noel Butler pointed out that in 2010 the Member for Hawkesbury, (in Hansard), said the preferred option was effectively identified in 2008.
“RMS officers tonight clearly stated their consultation only commenced in July 2009, the following year!” Says Noel. “What is going on? They have just been wasting public money. I don’t mind about my time, but I am really angry at what I see as a waste of taxpayers’ money”
The RMS closed the meeting by thanking participants for their contributions and noting there would, in the future, be a generic email address to respond to residents’ concerns.
15 June 2012 - Having not got the answers they want about the Windsor Bridge, the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) have been caught paying for comments about their plans for Windsor.
Outrage is growing as the RMS, last Wednesday night, shut down the community forum on Windsor Bridge.
Following countless hours of dedicated contribution to the RMS Community Consultation Forum, participants were told they were no longer needed.
Whilst the announcement had been flagged some days earlier in an email to Focus Group members it was still part of a shocking and emotional final meeting.
Things boiled over after the early departure of Councillor Bob Porter and some friends due to Councillor Porter’s admitted preference to watch the State of Origin rather than be at the meeting.
The RMS was asked to explain to the group about another consultation they had been engaged in.
Under questioning RMS officers admitted they had paid some ‘randomly selected’ locals for their opinion about the bridge project.
When further questioned they said they did not want to talk to people who had previously written to papers or to them and made comments, but then said there were a couple of ‘familiar faces’ at what CAWB member Rob Lewry later described as ‘secret consultations’.
RMS officers admitted that, despite the long-standing commitment by all members of the Focus Group, unlike the ‘secret group’ they would not be paid and had not been extended the courtesy of being told another group of people had been invited to a separate, invitation-only feedback meeting.
Matters only became worse when an RMS representative described the public focus group as ‘elitist’.
This description infuriated Focus Group member Nina McVey who reminded the RMS the Focus Group was made up of ordinary locals who were trying desperately to get a better solution for Windsor.
After the meeting Nina went on to say “It’s a bit rich. They have a private meeting where participants are paid and then call us elitist. This is just un-Australian.”
It was revealed the ‘secret group’ was made up of probably less than 40 people. It was also pointed out during a heated exchange there were tens of thousand of people in the Hawkesbury who would give the RMS their advice free of charge.
Community members who have given so many hours of their own time to helping the RMS to try and deliver a better project for Windsor were furious.
“This is terribly disappointing,” CAWB Chair, Dail Miller said. “We have worked endlessly on behalf of the people of the Hawkesbury to try and turn this terrible project around and deliver a proper solution for the community.
They have not listened to us and now we find they are ringing people up and offering to pay them to talk about the project. What on earth is going on?”
Local businesswoman, Megan Wood agrees. “The whole consultation process has been a sham,” she says, “We feel really used. We give up hours and hours of our time because we want something better for our community. This group, after a single session get an envelope full of cash and we get summarily dismissed because we are not giving the RMS the feedback they require to push their agenda through. “
Passions ran particularly high when local resident, Noel Butler pointed out that in 2010 the Member for Hawkesbury, (in Hansard), said the preferred option was effectively identified in 2008.
“RMS officers tonight clearly stated their consultation only commenced in July 2009, the following year!” Says Noel. “What is going on? They have just been wasting public money. I don’t mind about my time, but I am really angry at what I see as a waste of taxpayers’ money”
The RMS closed the meeting by thanking participants for their contributions and noting there would, in the future, be a generic email address to respond to residents’ concerns.
