The public gallery at Tuesday’s Council meeting. Photo: Geoff Vivian.
On Tuesday, Esperance Shire council was due to consider a motion passed at the annual elector’s meeting to publicly oppose the South Coast Marine Park and conduct an independent investigation into the community consultation process.
Instead, Cr Shayne Flanagan successfully moved to “lay the motion on the table” until the March 25 ordinary council meeting, when the results of the March 8 State Election should be known.
Cr Connor Davies seconded the motion.
“Given the current political at atmosphere and the way the Upper House is to be restructured, this is an opportunity to get the right people in the Upper House,” Cr Davies said.
“We will have more independents and they are going to get the balance of power.
“Doing an independent political action is not a good use of the Shire of Esperance rates.”
The motion passed 7-0.
Weekender counted 35 people in the public gallery at Tuesday’s council meeting, which is an unusually high turn out.
They were there to see Council consider four motions passed at the Annual Electors’ Meeting on February 4, which also had a very large attendance of 58 people.
Of the other motions, the first was that Council commit to a landscaping plan with capital investment for the Esperance Cemetery.
In reply, Council advised that an Esperance cemetery masterplan was currently being developed, which was to include a landscaping plan and a required budget allocation with identified projects.
The second motion called on Council to publicly oppose the South Coast Marine Park; and conduct an independent investigation into the community consultation process.
The third called for ablution facilities similar to Observatory Beach at Eleven Mile Beach; and asked for bins at popular beach locations along Twilight Beach Road through to Eleven Mile Beach.
Council agreed to consider constructing an ablution facility at Eleven Mile Beach and consider putting bins at popular beach locations along Twilight Beach Road through to Eleven Mile Beach, both as part of the 2025/26 budget process.
The last of these motions called for the construction of 1.5km of Keenan Road to a fire access track standard, joining Keenan Road north and south sections.
Council agreed to consider this as part of the 2025/26 budget process.
