Greens Councillor James Ryan has accused Cessnock Council of becoming a property developer, after a property investment and management policy was adopted at last Wednesday’s meeting.
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The first objective of the policy is to maintain a balanced portfolio of property investments ensuring maximum capital growth, a recurrent income source, and the financial capacity to further invest and develop.
But Cr. Ryan argues that the policy is bad news for the local community.
“I am shocked that a council like Cessnock with a reputation for approving bad development has chosen to become a property developer,” he said.
“This is very bad news for the environment, for local residents, and for community trust in local government.”
Council first considered a report on the phase one progress of the Strategic Property Review in September.
The policy was then put on public exhibition for the required 28 days, where it received no submissions from the public.
Cr. Ryan described council’s adoption of the policy as “a remarkable turn of events.”
“Cessnock Council seems to have no capacity to discern between good development and bad development,” he said.
“Just ask the residents of Millfield and Black Hill.”
“In both of these locations council has recently supported rezoning and proposed subdivisions which have no planning justification.
“The mess Cessnock Council has made of the Heddon Greta area is another example of council’s poor record.
“Instead of becoming a modern council which charges developers a fair amount for the provision of community infrastructure, the ALP dominated Cessnock Council is failing to enforce charges on developers and is itself intending to become a property developer.
“I’m not predicting that Cessnock Council, as a property developer, will be imposing reasonable charges on property development any time soon.”
Liberal Councillor Bryce Gibson described the motion as “forward thinking” and said that it was about time that Cessnock Council “got out of the dark ages” and became more of a business unit.
