Mark Rodda's comments on Ray Walsh House saga

RAY WALSH HOUSE SAGA GOES ON – by Councillor Mark Rodda

Dear Fellow Residents & Ratepayers

At this Tuesday’s 22/10/2024 meeting there is a request by the Deputy Mayor to form a working group that includes the five new councillors “to Review the Ray Walsh House Issues”.

There are no issues to review. All the new councillors have access to all the relative documents, decisions, reasonings and determinations of the last council with regard to Ray Walsh House. Nothing has changed since then. The new councillors can go back through this information and come to their own conclusions without having to be guided by a working group that may or may not come to the same conclusion that the last council had about Ray Walsh House.

As I have previously stated in many Facebook posts and campaigned on with regard to Ray Walsh House, I am not in concurrence with the official advice and have explained why I am opposed to the current course of action. I believe the motion is flawed in its current state, but I would support the Deputy Mayor to form a Ray Walsh House working group of any councillor who would like to participate, if it had very broad terms of reference, allowing councillors to talk and seek advice from anyone willing to offer it, make independent enquires on councillors own volition and have that evidence be presented in a public forum. Residents don’t simply want a rubber stamp for disposal and all elected councillors should have the opportunity to participate in the building’s future, hence I will be moving an amendment. That would deliver a more democratic outcome and enhance collaboration between the newly elected councillors over the significant buildings’ future.