COUNCILLORS have remained consistent in their voting, with the latest notice of motion regarding the go-kart track failing to gain enough support.
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The notice of motion, put forward by councillor Jess Jennings, was seeking support to carry out a series of assessments relating to McPhillamy Park.
Specifically, Cr Jennings wanted the following actions to be taken:
- conduct an economic assessment of the current and future strategic and economic value of McPhillamy Park to the Bathurst community
- conduct a Benefit-Cost Analysis of the go-kart track project (as per approved DA), including any negative externalities on McPhillamy Park and the Bathurst community
- and request or conduct a Business Case report on the expected operations of the proposed go-kart track (as per approved DA)
Councillors remain divided on the issue, but only three of them continue to staunchly oppose the decisions made to date on the kart track, which is not enough to change them.
Those three, councillors Jennings, John Fry and Monica Morse, all spoke and subsequently voted in support of the notice of motion on Wednesday.
The other side of the argument, however, remained largely silent, with one councillor later suggesting it was a symbol that "the debate is over".
On the night, Cr Jennings reiterated the need for the assessments to be done.
"In essence, due diligence is not being done on this DA. It's a real shame," he said.
"The mayoral minute has essentially forced the situation where greater transparency should be bought on this project, because that mayoral minute brought in an interest bill over $250,000 totally unnecessarily onto the ratepayer. It was sprung on councillors, there was no working party, and it's all done under a [$2.25 million] loan under COVID budgeting. That's just totally unacceptable.
"One of the things that's really clear in the current accounting for this project, is ... no one knows the true cost of this DA because you don't know what the value of McPhillamy Park is, and as a result, McPhillamy Park should be valued."
Cr Morse said these reports proposed in the notice of motion should have been done in 2015 and, although "the horse has bolted", she reiterated the need to look after the top of Mount Panorama.
Cr Jacqui Rudge, who later voted against the motion, said the DA had been approved, but called for McPhillamy Park to be brought "up to the quality it should be for the vicinity that it is" so the wider community could enjoy it.