Mayor, Cr Tony Allen, Refutes Attack - Merimbula Development

February 29, 2008

Bega Valley Shire mayor, Cr Tony Allen, has taken issue with unattributed reports about his meeting with Planning Minister Frank Sartor last October.

Mayor Tony Allen

Cr Allen said reports in this week’s Merimbula News Weekly (February 27, 2008) were wrong when they said he had told Mr Sartor that the intention of limiting development in Merimbula was for the benefit of Bega.

“What I said was a reiteration of a resolution of the council and the State Government’s regional strategy that Merimbula should be the tourism centre of the Bega Valley Shire and Bega the commercial centre,” Cr Allen said.

“I did not then, nor ever, take a position on ‘limiting’ one town in the Shire to ‘benefit’ any other town.

“Council is responsible for all areas of the Shire individually as well as the Shire as a whole.”

Cr Allen said it was high time the in-fighting between and within towns in the Shire ended and that the whole community worked towards the betterment of the entire area and the advancement of everyone’s interests.

“The recent public disagreement in Merimbula over the proposed cap on the size of retail development is a prime example,” Cr Allen said.

“The size of the cap is a decision that the Planning Minister will make and when he does Council will welcome that decision and work with it and the community to ensure that development in Merimbula is the best and most attractive it can be.”