Town Meeting, CWA Hall, Gulgong - October 27th, 2011

The main agenda of the meeting was to explain and discuss Mid-Western Regional Council's Draft Development Control Plan - Temporary Workers.
Chair: Alex Lithgow of the Black Lead Community Group
Present from Council: Warwick Bennett (General Manager), Mayor Des Kennedy, Catherine Van Laeren, Councillors J Webb, J Weatherly, P Thompson, R Holden

The meeting was well run and well attended. Speakers stayed on topic and contributions/questions from the floor were thoughtful and constructive.

NOTE: Every effort has been made to provide an accurate summary of information provided at the meeting. Comments, changes and corrections are welcome. Email contributions here

Summary

Key points raised during the meeting:

• All issues with the Draft DCP should be raised by making submissions to Counil by Monday, 31st October
• All members of the community are welcome to make submissions and were strongly encouraged to do so
• The DCP contains guidelines regarding development of temporary workers accommodation throughout our LGA
• The final DCP will be used by Council when assessing development applications for temporary workers accommodation
• The majority of attendees were against the proposed development on the corner of Black Lead Lane and Cope Road

Key points of the DCP.

• It is currently in draft form. Submissions are encouraged for review and making amendments to the DCP
• Current regulations and guidelines (including the draft LEP) for developments do not address temporary workers accommodation. The DCP was created to address this shortcoming
• The DCP aims to identify impacts (positive and/or negative) and benefits of temporary worker accommodation developments
• The DCP provides GUIDELINES for considering such developments - it is not legally binding

Key concerns regarding the proposed development included:

• the impact on existing infrastructure - especially access to medical practitioners and facilities
• effects on social cohesion and harmony in the community
• public safety - especially for residents near the development
• the impact on residents near the development: noise, traffic, views are some examples
• impact on the town's historic image, historic sites and artifacts

The meeting in detail

Alex Lithgow
Represented the Black Lead Community Group

• Not opposed to development of accommodation villages in general
• ARE opposed to development on the edge of town
• As far as he can tell Councillors are also against development near towns
• Developments should be on the outskirts of the mines themselves
• The MAC Group presentation came across as "a done deal"

Cheryl Kruezen
Read an article from the Australian newspaper, July 23, 2011 Fly-in workers 'sucking life from town' by Paul Cleary and Rosanne Barrett. The article illustrates problems with high levels of FIFO, DIDO workers including:

• Majority of money earned in regions is spent elsewhere
• Large populations of people that don't live there puts pressure on local government's ability to maintain roads and services
• Accommodation squeezes raise cost of living for all
• Workers themselves are socially dislocated, have higher rates of road accidents
• High rents encourage other workers to drive long distances to work

Paul Kruezen

• The mines are coming and expanding. Nothing can be done to change that
• Mining village population will not be included in numbers when identifying health needs in the community
• Promises of businesses such as the MAC Group mean nothing without laws to back them up
• New mines are coming on board: no guarantees that they will spend anything on infrastructure. Used the example of Ulan mine which did help fund road works.
• The villages focus on out-of-town labour; taking jobs away from locals
• There's a desperate need for permanent housing in the LGA - up to 1,500 homes by his guess. Building these homes will keep housing prices down
• Developments over $10 million in value are not appraised by council. (was corrected in that the figure is now $20 million - above which are considered by Joint Regional Planning Panels)
• Submissions regarding the DCP must be made by everyone with concerns

Chris Pearson

• Gulgong is officially designated a historic town
• Such developments will be detrimental to this status

Bob Campbell

• Lives 4km on the Gulgong side of Ulan.
• Has photographed changes in the area over the last 12 years
• Has seen other thriving communities die out and/or be bulldozed as a result of the mines stepping in
• The site to be developed will destroy valuable local historical sites including old mines, dams and a tip (an 'urban archaeological site')

Sharelle Fellows

• Must preserve social cohesion in the community
• Workers staying in the villages are not rate payers yet they utilise the services
• Employers receive tax breaks in the way of FBT benefits, making FIFO, DIDO workers a cheaper alternative than it may seem
• QLD Government legislation - requirement for a 'Social Impact Assessment' to be done accompanying any temporary worker village DA.
• Other governments are lagging behind and it is the communities that are suffering

Des Kennedy

• "feels everyone's pain" and agrees with everyone's sentiments
• Informed the meeting that the MAC Group had at least 3 conversations with Council prior to the purchase of land and making their presentation on October 12th
• During conversations Des and others questioned whether the MAC Group had contacted the neighbours to discuss their planned purchase. The MAC Group responded they had done so. Subsequently it became apparent that this was not the case.
• The MAC Group believe "they are doing us a favour"
• Economic benefits will be minimal - pubs won't make a lot, produce won't be bought locally
• Council wants to encourage people to stay in the region permanently
• Urged people to make their opinions known - get their submissions in.

Catherine Van Laeren

• Draft LEP is out and had to conform to a template supplied by State government. There is no definition of 'temporary worker's accommodation'. As such, its use is considered 'in nominate' (not defined by the relevant planning instrument). DAs then may be permissible.
• This shortcoming in the LEP is addressed by the Draft DCP
• The DCP aims to identify impacts (positive and/or negative) and benefits of temporary worker accommodation developments
• A main consideration when drafting the DCP was maximising social integration - hence elements such as the low numbers allowed in individual villages
• Another important objective was to maximise the economic benefits to local communities - hence the requirement to locate accommodation on the edge of towns, villages or large infrastructure projects (such as mines)
• Maximising economic benefits leads to the requirement that facilities cannot be replicated (if there's a gym in town, they can't build their own but must use the one in town instead). This covers pubs, recreational facilities etc.
• A DA from the MAC Group is expected before Christmas
• People were urged to put their name and address on their submissions so they could be notified when their submission was to be considered.

Questions - open to the meeting

• Questions regarding shortcomings of the DCP were pointed out by the community
• What is 'temporary'? Is there a time limit?
• Safety concerns for nearby residents
• Safety for children / young people
• If negatives outweigh the positives how will people be encouraged to move to or remain in Gulgong?
• Responses came from various members of Council's delegation - almost always urging people to table their concerns in the form of submissions regarding the DCP

Des Kennedy (summing up)

• Get your submissions in
• A DA from the MAC Group is expected before Christmas
• Time is short - there will be no extension. The DCP must be finalised as quickly as possible.
• In response to questions regarding promoting permanent housing development he said that Council was open to assisting and encouraging developers

The meeting closed around 7.45pm

Back to the Mining Village homepage