Are We There Yet? 27.9.2011

The Herald reported today that three councillors have lodged yet another rescission motion. This is reputed to be because the recent vote on independent expert assessment is alleged to be unlawful.

That’s not the opinion of our legal advisers. In any case, there’s another council meeting to go to next week. October 4th – put it in your diary.

 You wonder, don’t you, about the motivation and the dogged persistence shown by the tree-felling crew. Don’t you feel like you’re on a  long car trip and the kids in the back keep asking over and over again whether you’ve reached your destination?

In spite of his fears for damage to council staff and experts’ reputations [see below], Cr Cook is happy to have independent assessment done after the trees go – which would potentially be an even greater threat to reputations. (On the other hand, since Cr Cook has complete confidence in council’s advice and ‘investigations’ and says NCC has a ‘rock solid case’, how can there be any damage to reputations? It’s all so circular, isn’t it?)

Greg Ray said in his column in the Herald on Saturday about Cr Cook’s idea:

‘SOME strange comments have been made in the course of Newcastle’s agonising Laman Street fig saga.

‘One of the strangest, perhaps, was a remark – quoted in this newspaper – by noted anti-fig crusader, Cr Bob Cook.

‘Cook reportedly said that having an independent assessment of city hall’s fig risk documentation had “the potential to cause reputational damage to council staff members and other experts involved”.

‘Um, so nobody should ever question any decision or expression of opinion by any public servant or paid consultant?

‘Because that questioning might lead to a finding that the decision or expression of opinion wasn’t quite right and that might encourage some people to cast aspersions on the public servant or consultant?

‘No offence, Bob, but that sounds like a really weird argument to me.’

The suggestion that avoiding review of the assessments done to date was to be aimed for was actually Council’s tree team and was first mentioned in a presentation by them to the Urban Planning Design Advisory Committee in July.

And in  a spirit of transparency, I’ll share with you a comment left on the blog from one of my fans. It shows the passion felt by those who want to see a new-and-improved Laman Street. It’s also a lesson in how one should avoid caps lock and exclamation marks. The asterisks are all mine.

‘’Greenies’ and f***ing do-gooders have caused more than half a million dollars of our tax payer dollars to be wasted on independant [sic] enquiries, tree testing, specialist reports and f*** knows what other mindless crap. CUT THE F***ERS DOWN – FOR F***S SAKE! – AND BE DONE WITH IT !!!!’

And on that cheerful note I’ll end. Write to your councillors.

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Tags: Cr Cook, Greg Ray, independent assessment, legal advice, NCC, reputational damage, rescission motion, spin, The Herald, tree team, UPDAC