By Trish Bowman
With a firm understanding of the need for more affordable accommodation solutions across the Capricorn Coast, Deputy Adam Belot was the only Councillor at the table to vote against a move for Livingstone Shire Council to gift two parcels of land to AnglicareCQ in April 2023.
Cr Belot said the move was his way to make a stand, not because he doesn’t want to find housing solutions, he simply believes there was insufficient transparency for community members by Council when the matter was heard in closed session.
“This is about keeping the community informed and giving them an opportunity to have a say on redistribution of Council assets,” he said.
“I saw no reason for this to have been done in closed session and believe we could have demonstrated more transparency addressing the issue and making decisions in an open forum.
“As Portfolio holder of Organisational Performance, I have questioned our performance in this important decision making and found we could have done better.”
At Livingstone Shire Councils regular meeting on 16 May, Cr Adam Belot moved a motion that in future, property transactions involving gifting of public land to a community organisation requires meaningful community consultation be undertaken prior to any transaction being formally considered by council and wherever possible, such decisions be made in open session of Council meeting to the satisfaction of the relevant requirements of local government legislation.
The motion was carried.
Cr Belot said the motion was an effort to ensure that wherever possible open and transparent decision making is upheld especially when Council is considering gifting freehold land to a community organisation that is economically significant and often heavily funded by the Federal/State Governments.
“The public have a right to know before any decision is made, and more importantly be afforded the opportunity to influence the decision-making process,” Cr Belot said.
“Livingstone’s website refers to community consultation and engagement as ‘the process of bringing the community into the decisions that interest them.’
“Holding such decisions in the confidential agenda does not bring the community in.”
Subject to the provision of funding through the State, and development approval being sought, Livingstone Council agreed to contribute the two parcels of Council-owned land in Yeppoon and Emu Park.
The move followed a presentation by AnglicareCQ earlier this year, which highlighted that over 1000 people are currently waiting for affordable accommodation in Yeppoon and Rockhampton.
To help address this issue, Livingstone Council committed to providing AnglicareCQ with two vacant lots at 16-18 Cordingley Street, Yeppoon and 99-115 Fountain Street, Emu Park for affordable family accommodation, including units for people with disabilities.