Gippsland Times: Council quits VLGA

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http://sale.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/council-quits-vlga/1347664.aspx

DAVID BRAITHWAITE
31/10/2008
THE Victorian Local Governance Association claims it has never had a
policy against logging in Melbourne’s water catchment areas, despite
Wellington Shire Council voting to cancel its membership over the issue.

Council voted to quit the association at its meeting last week on the
back of a notice of motion from councillor Malcolm Hole, who said the
VLGA’s apparent policy could wipe out about 350 jobs in Wellington shire
alone.

“I believe that, as a councillor, our duty is to protect jobs, not just
pour extra water into Melbourne,” he said.

Cr Hole told council a VLGA delegate at a meeting to discuss the timber
industry said that it had a policy to stop logging in Melbourne’s water
catchments, including the Thomson catchment.

Seventeen per cent of the Thomson catchment area is set aside for timber
harvesting.

“Thirty-five per cent of the timber which comes into Gippsland comes
from that area,” Cr Hole said.

“It takes around 80 to 120 years to grow, so it has to be grown on Crown
land because nobody can invest in a tree plantation where it will take
80 to 120 years before you start getting a return.”

Of further concern to council was the Municipal Association of Victoria
vote to pass a motion, 53 per cent to 47, to oppose logging in
Melbourne’s catchments at its recent state council meeting.

Cr Peter Garlick said the timber debate had been “snowed” by
metropolitan councils for selfish reasons.

“What most disappoints me … this is a real Melbourne grab for water,”
he said.

“They haven’t looked at the environmental aspects of logging in
catchments … one is to make sure you have staggered growth and also
allow other plants to come through.

“It’s time these organisation really started to look at the people in
rural areas.”

VLGA president Beth Davidson said the board had never considered this
issue, but said the association did facilitate a forum to explore the
implications of logging in Melbourne’s water catchments.

“Wellington Shire councillors were very aware of this information which
was clearly set out in correspondence sent to them on the morning before
the decision,” she said.

“Councillors who wish to close down debate, who knowingly peddle false
information and who make decisions based on information known to be
false do not serve their communities well.

“I call on Cr Hole to put to right the fallacious information contained
in his notice of motion, and to allow his fellow councillors to consider
the correct information afresh.”

Cr Jenny O’Neill said council would not be able to contribute to debate
if it withdrew from the VLGA.

“If we stand outside, then the voice is lost,” she said.

“What’s happened is that MAV now have a position on logging in water
catchments, that is the one that we should be afraid of, not the VLGA’s
non-existent position on it.”

Mayor Peter Cleary agreed it would be difficult for council to have
input into how the VLGA would advocate to government if it wasn’t a member.

“Whether in the VLGA or outside the VLGA, if the VLGA doesn’t support
logging in a water catchment area, then we, as a council, can make quite
clear that we think they’re wrong,” he said.

admin @ November 11, 2008