Investigation into metropolitan mayor’s role in coastal path decision

CLAIMS a local mayor and her deputy disregarded ratepayers and their council’s own advice by backing moves to extend a coastal path through the Tennyson Dune will now be formally investigated.

Nick Crouch is from the Tennyson Dunes Group is a Community consultation for a coast path which runs through Tennyson to Grange has raised concerns such as lowering house prices and damage to the dunes.

AN EXTERNAL investigation will be launched into three resident groups’ claims Charles Sturt Council’s mayor and deputy mayor disregarded ratepayers and the council’s own advice by backing moves to extend a coastal path through the Tennyson Dunes.

In code of conduct complaints lodged last month with the council, The Wild Endangered Dunes Group (WEDGE), Sandpiper Dunes Care Group and the Coastal Ecology Protection Group allege Mayor Angela Evans and Deputy Mayor Bob Randall “deliberately” ignored their recommendations to advocate for the path to avoid the dunes between Grange and Semaphore.

The Local Government Association’s Governance Panel will investigate the allegations.

Ms Evans and Cr Randall would not respond to the allegations levelled against them when contacted late last month.

The complaint — which the Advertiser.com.au has seen — claimed Ms Evans “tacitly supported the ... bias of (Cr) Randall” when she allowed the Henley Ward councillor to last year ask elected members, without any prior notice, to back his push to have the path built through the Tennyson Dunes.

Elected members unanimously supported Cr Randall’s stance, which was later presented to the State Government as the council’s preferred design for the 4.8km Grange to Semaphore section of the walking and cycling track.

“The effect of this motion was to write to the State Government advocating for a path alignment that was not supported by the Coast Park reference group ... nor by residents,” the complaint stated.

“The behaviour ... has undermined the confidence of residents in the council’s elected members, in (their) community engagement.”

WEDGE chairman Geoffrey Reed this week told the Advertiser.com.au he hoped the groups’ complaint would encourage the council to change their stance on a preferred path option.

The Wild Endangered Dunes Group, Sandpiper Dunes Care Group and the Coastal Ecology Protection groups were set up to advocate for the protection of the Tennyson Dunes.

The groups represent approximately 800 homes around Semaphore Park and West Lakes Shore, according to Mr Reed.

Acting Charles Sturt chief executive Jan Cornish said the council would not comment on the complaints until they had been resolved.

However, Ms Cornish said any allegations against a council mayor or deputy mayor would automatically be referred to the Local Government Association’s Governance Panel for investigation.

In 2014, the council received more than 1500 submissions during community consultation on designs for the Grange to Semaphore section of the coastal path.

Local residents and the council-led Coast Park Reference Group backed a path that avoided the Tennyson Dunes.

The allegations against Charles Sturt Council’s highest-ranking elected members came as the State Government invited the council to join a working party tasked with choosing a design for a compacted dirt path running through Tennyson Dunes.

The Grange to Semaphore stretch is part of a State Government project to create a 70km coastal path from Sellicks Beach to North Haven.

Originally published as Investigation into metropolitan mayor’s role in coastal path decision