Here are messages of support for the Obi Obi Parklands.

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DateWhoMessage
23 Jul 2007John WHello Everyone,

Now you have seen the developers plan - a design that is environmental vandalism of the first order on sensitive areas of land forms and the recharge zones , springs and drainage lines. To give Barung an area of land twice the size of my houseblock of some 2100 M2 is an insult equivalent to Hitler invading Poland in 1939, I happened to be around then as a kid.

With the housing, do they:
Supply their own water?
Household sewerage treatment Plants?
Who pays for the road infrastructure ?

Do the Golfers pay a levy in their fees to cover the cost of their selfish pastime that most of us battlers cannot afford to pay to cover costs.

The plan submitted is environmental vandalism of the first order and for any educated person that may have an agricultural background who supports such a plan ought to dig a hole and bury their head in the sand as they are a disgrace to their profession..

John W
22 Jul 2007Paul & Fern VHere is our own submission:

Attention: The Mayor, the Chief Executive Officer and All Councillors

Dear Sirs,

Consultation Paper For The Maleny Community Precinct Site

We read with dismay and disbelief the article in The Range News of 12 July 2007 titled ÒPrecinct Step FurtherÓ that the councillors have agreed to present one option to the residents of Maleny to develop an 18 hole golf course along side a hinterland park and garden.

Having attended the Precinct Consultation process at the Maleny show grounds on 21 April 2007 I was most impressed with the presentations provided by a team of competent council officers. During this process most delegates present were not in favour of an 18 hole golf course and many good (and some not so good) suggestions were put forward for the use of the precinct land. An 18 hole golf course was regarded as too exclusive, taking up too much space thus crowding out other shared uses and not economically viable without a large housing content or being a burden on tax payers.

What you are now presenting is a consultation process that advances an 18 hole golf course that will use a disproportionate amount of the available land and further gets a seed allowance of $1.0M for construction. This is contrary to the advice of your council officers who have an excellent understanding of the site, its constraints, environmental impacts and community preferences.

While Barung Landcare and others are included in the consultation paper it seems highly skewered in favour of the golf course. Organisations with a track record, with runs on the board, will have to justify their share of $1.0M while the organisation who most benefits, The Maleny Golf Club, gets a large share of the land and $1.0M. This is an organisation that has not presented a business plan for a golf course, has not had any general input into the community and honestly has no runs on the board.

Further it would appear improbable that an 18 hole golf course could be constructed on this site for $1.0M. This will no doubt become apparent as you advance this idea.

Ongoing maintenance costs of a golf course is an issue that requires serious consideration. What research has council conducted into the future costs of maintaining a golf course and how will this be funded if not by rate payers or the sale of more land blocks?

When observing the amount of players on the golf courses at Beerwah, Landsborough and Woodford, all within an easy drive of Maleny, it is apparent how few golfers are using these expensive to build and maintain facilities. Why consider another exclusive use facility appealing to a small percentage of the population that will inevitably be a drain on tax payers?

We refer you to the quote of David T. Suzuki used by you in an earlier information brochure dealing with possible uses of the precinct land: ÒI have been saying to people across this country as IÕve been travelling it is crucial that they go through a process of deciding what values keep them where they are, what they want to preserve into the future and then flesh out a development strategy that will ensure that those values are protected above all elseÓ. Leaving behind the legacy of a golf course for future generations is hardly something we can be proud of.

We are left wondering what the use is of expending energy working with council officers to advance sensible ideas to be over ruled by Councillors whose function it is to deliver, within reason, what their community wants.

Yours faithfully,

Paul & Fern V
19 Jul 2007John WildmanThis is what I sent to the Council:

Good Morning Mr Mayor & Councillors All.

I was absolutely appalled to hear of Council's decision to build a 18 hole golf course on this sensitive piece of land.

As an ex DPI NSW field officer of 37 years experience I spent my whole career tramping over farm lands, evaluating them and providing advice & guidance to primary producers in all parts of NSW excepting the Northern Tablelands & Slopes and the South Coast. I have viewed this land as a member of the Task Force and as one I would not sign the combined report, because the soil assessment, hydrology, catchments sensitivity were just some of the items the Council employed Leader would not accept as important and I was advised there was no money for non important items like those mentioned.

It is highly imperative that the slip zone areas designated have remedial repair work done. The drainage lines be assisted by the use of Absorption banks across the heads of gullies, small dams constructed on the main drainage lines supplied by contour banks traversing across the slopes with contour overflows be constructed The Porters section needs the greatest attention. The whole of the precinct be chiselled ploughed on a 1 [one] metre contour line to encourage water penetration and aeration of the top soil profile. The wet land on Porters be re-established where he has drained it. Having the area contoured, dams and wet lands established this provides a recharge zone for the natural springs on this land which eventually is the Obi Obi's source of supply

After viewing the precinct and taking the constraints into consideration and the remedial conservation work that should be looked at, the topography alone should rule out any thought of a golf course
28.2% of the precinct property has from 0 degree to 8 degree slope, 37.6685 hectares, the greater majority is soft wet soil
39.4% - 8 degree to 16 degrees slope 52.6534 hectares
21.6% -16 degree to 24 degree slope 28.9182 hectares
7.6% - 24 degree to 32 degree slope 10.1067 Hectares
3.3% - above 32 degrees 4.4 hectares approx

To construct a golf course on this terrain, a lot of bulldozing would be required , this would then require considerably more soil conservation works[ than mentioned above in para 2] in the form of Absorption & Contour banks, Grassed Waterways, Contour furrowing [ golf ball barriers] if watercourses/springs were to be covered they never go away, always come back to bite you.

Placing a golf course on this land has no consideration for the catchment of the Obi Obi Creek, which is Caloundra's water supply. The registered map I am looking at gives the area as133.7393 hectares. When the soil in this precinct area reaches surface saturation to allow run-off, from my records, in February 1992 when the Hills of Maleny were running with water , during the month 11,498 megalitres would have run off the precinct. This another reason why any sporting ground that has to use fungicides and insecticides at any period should not be a significant catchment zone for a water supply...

With the large area of environmental sensitive land I believe the area should be classified as OPEN SPACE PASSIVE RECREATION.

John & Veronica Wildman
19 Jul 2007Don WHello,

I sent this to the Councillors and Mayor:

As a Maleny resident who has enthusiastically participated in most of the community consultation meetings during the last few years I am disgusted that the process appears to have been stopped. During the most recent months we were assured that the process was beginning with a "blank canvas" and that no preconceived decisions had been made. I have attended numerous meetings and design scenarios believing we might be able to influence the design outcomes for the precinct.

The news that the Council has usurped that process and made a decision to build an 18 hole golf course has come as a shock. One that will have severe repercussions on our community.

I would like to have answers to the following questions:

1. Why was the community consultation stopped?
2. What will happen to all the creative work contributed to the design process?
3. How will an 18 hole golf course be funded?
4. How will the design process be advanced from this point forward?
5. Has the MALPLAN group dispensed with all other citizen participation?

I look forward to receiving answers to these questions.

Sincerely,

Don W
18 Jul 2007Michael C-KMy letter:

Dear Mr Aldous, your pro-golfing-in-the-hills councillor friends and developer barons

I am writing to express my grave concern over your decision made behind those all-too-familiar 'closed doors' on 5 July concerning the Maleny community precinct 18 hole golf course. Does finding the most environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial precinct land use mean anything to you? Think of the wide range of expanded business, educational and job opportunities that could be realised from a largely self-funded gardens park scheme showcasing regional environmentally sensitive produce, products & services in this unique rainforet region. What about chemical runoff from this course emptying into the Obi catchment - you'll be drinking the stuff?

Don't we residents on the local government electoral role pay for qualified, experienced, professional council staff, such as town planners, to make recommendations and uphold laws on suitable uses made of land? We certainly don't elect political representatives, often with little or no professional experience in best practice town planning and land use management, to go putting (puting!) 18 hole golf courses on potentially good quality soil rural land just to appease a minority of self-interested individuals with limited awareness of broader community benefits. Besides, such a course cannot fit, given the constraints council staff identified on the land (slope, creek banks, marshlands...), if it is to meet legal, national golf course design standards.

The precinct consultation process, encouraged by Cnr Newman and implemented by Maleny Commumity Precinct Projecty town planning staff, was exemplary. Those who participated (estimated 6% or so of Div 1 electorate) came up with a range of designs featuring extended gardens, re-forestation zones, some community facilities and a 9 hole golf course (on some designs only) on the AquaGen land. Do you councillors have the right to suddenly over-ride and usurp this entire consultation process, adding insult to your own council staff and countless residents who've contributed much effort to the process?

If you don't know what a forest park is may I suggest you visit the over-visited Mary Cairncross rainforest. If you have never seen a gardens style park try Mt Cootha or Roma St. in Brisbane! Most people in a given electorate know what these are, although the designing, layout and planting of such would be generally too technical. Remember, the QUT Urban and Landscape Design School graduate student designs presented to the public on four occasions in 2004? Any one of these alone would way surpass such a golf course, serving the indulgences of a minority, and better preserve the landscape and soil integrity.

Please don't waste your last few months in office prior to amalgamation anwering my email with excuses for further contaminating the Blackall Range catchment environment.

I will be writing to the State Government once again asking them to intercede in this matter. After all, you are merely state government sub-committees as per the QLD referendum result in 1989 that declared independent local governments unconstitutional. Let's hope the Hinterland can be rid of this pro-development, urbanisation obsessed administration (Sunshine Coast Council to be) and be awarded a more environmentally aware council to run its more rural affairs.

Michael C-K.
18 Jul 2007T.K.B.MY LETTER TO COUNCIL:

Dear Sir,

I was very shocked to hear of a decision to use the Maleny precinct land for an 18 hole golf course and would like to register my objection.

I know overwhelming numbers of local residents who are totally opposed to this proposal. I am very involved with many diverse sectors of the community and a really varied cross-section have expressed their opposition to me personally. It is therefore not a case of birds of a feather sticking together. It is more likely to be a case of a vocal minority or squeaky wheel perhaps.

Yours sincerely
T.K.B.
18 Jul 2007Barry OA golf course will have to utilise steep and environmentally sensitive land - they will have to do lots of drainage works and earthworks. The wetlands area in the precinct will by necessity be trashed in this process. In addition, Councillors are only going to give the golf club $1 million. Around one fifth of the minimum required to build a very basic course. How are the 400 golf club members going to raise the extra $4 million? I hardly expect them to all chip in $10,000 each... And how are they going to pay for ongoing maintenance for the golf club? What about the environmental damage, chemical run-off etc?
18 Jul 2007Steve SDear Caloundra City Council,

Please pass this email on to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and all the Councillors.

I would like to voice my concern over the manner in which the public consultation on the Maleny Community Precinct has been cut short. I attended several events organised by Leah Bancroft (Senior Strategic Planner,
Strategic Planning & Policy Unit) and was awaiting the opportunity to provide input on the final short listed design options.

Imagine my disappointment to see that yet another closed-door meeting of Councillors has decided that an 18 hole golf course was the preferred option and that planning staff now have to come up with a golf course design to present to the public. My understanding was that a golf course was not necessarily the preferred option due to site constraints and environmental concerns. Am I not correct in this?

I have been informed by several different sources that pro-golf course advocates have been actively lobbying directly with Councillors, thus shortcutting the public consultation process and by-passing Council professional staff. I am also led to believe that a detailed submission from the pro-golf proponents does not exist, neither does any financial viability for such a proposed golf course.

Given the relatively small number of people who would regularly play golf in Maleny (less than 500 in a regional of over 5,000 residents) I am shocked that any Councillor could see golf as having majority community support for a vast tract of the Maleny Community Precinct land - land suited for many alternative recreational uses.

Here are a few questions which I would really like to see answered when the public is once again allowed to see the proposed plan:

1. Can the Mayor and Councillors assure the public (Maleny locals and city-wide rate payers) that the proposed golf club could be constructed in an environmentally sensitive manner on the this very steep, slip-prone catchment land, given such a low base of funding for construction of the course?

2. Can the Mayor and Councillors assure the public that the land will remain open space in the (inevitable in my estimation) event that the golf club fails to raise sufficient finances to construct and maintain the course?

3. Will this land be given over to the exclusive use of the golf club?

4. What about walking trails, bike ways, equestrian trails etc?

5. Will the golf course land be fenced off?

6. Will pesticides and fertilizers be permitted?

7. How many hundreds of houses will have to be built to pay for this golf course?

8. Will an adequate riparian buffer zone be established to safeguard the Caloundra City water supply?

9. What impact will the proposed amalgamation of local government authorities have on this project? (I assume that Mayor Aldous and all Councillors will be competing for newly drawn divisions in a super Sunshine Coast Council come next March...)

I will be very interested to learn answers to these questions, and to be assured that all Councillors gave this decision careful consideration, and that they based their decision on sound expert advice from professional staff, rather than who lobbied the loudest in the past few weeks.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen S