Tensions are rising over prison debate in council meeting
By Sharon Webb
TENSIONS OVER the proposed new prison site are rising among Meander Valley councillors, with one yelling and swearing in the December meeting and the mayor signalling that he is fed up with anti-prison residents taking up valuable time in council meetings. After extending council question time in October and November, a grim-faced Mayor Wayne Johnston indicated that council meeting rules would now be enforced, limiting questions to the usual 30 minutes. ‘We’ve had enough in the last two meetings,’ he said. ‘Council understands that residents have questions about this project, however, council’s ordinary meetings must be conducted in line with local government regulations. ‘These meetings are not a forum to debate matters. There are many items on the agenda that must be dealt with in accordance with the Local Government Act. This limits time for questions from the public.’ In return, Westbury residents spurned the usual acting general manager’s answers to their prison questions, directing them instead to individual councillors. Peter Wileman asked Cllr Andrew Sherriff whether he believed previous general manager Martin Gill’s touting for possible prison sites in the municipality was a reasonable process, Cllr Sherriff blew up. ‘The process is ___! ‘I’m not impressed with the process at all. Councillors were not aware of the proposal any more than you guys. I found out the location when you found out.’
When Mr Wileman asked when ratepayers could expect action over this, Cllr Sherriff turned the tables, implying his hard work was unappreciated. ‘I’m here for you guys! I’m on this table to listen to your concerns. We have no information on this proposal. We’ve got no application. We know as much as you guys do. ‘We have a difficult role at this table and I’ll let you know I’ve lost a lot of respect in this community because of the way you guys have acted. We didn’t start this. I joined council after all this was in the pipeline. ‘You put yourselves in our position as elected members, being chastised, emailed four times a day asking for information we have no idea about! ‘People on this table live in Westbury the same as you. Do they have concerns? Yes they do. Do we know the information? No we don’t. ‘Give us a break!’ In contrast to previous meetings, members of Westbury Residents Against the Prison (WRAP) seemed to set out to be provocative and take charge of the meeting. Earlier, Westbury resident Anne-Marie Loader asked whether she could video the proceedings because she believed council minutes were not an accurate reflection of events. Cllr Johnston’s reply in the negative, because ‘the council has no policy on videoing meetings’ and his instruction for the public gallery to ‘wait until there is a policy’, provoked jeers from the public gallery. Several people continued videoing regardless, in a nod to former Cllr Andrew Connor who several times put forward motions on videoing council meetings, without support from any fellow councillors.
