Surf Coast Times
Tuesday 17 May 2011
VOL 9. No 20
www.surfcoasttimes.com.au
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SHIRE GIFT Bellbrae Primary School’s biggest fundraiser for the year will take on an Italian flavour this Sunday. The annual Mayfair will be held from 10am-3pm at the school with plenty of entertainment and activities for all the family – including prizes valued at more than $1,000 for the raffle. Teasing their tastebuds for an Italian treat in readiness for the Mayfair were students (from left) Hugh Taylor, 9, Hannah Scott, 9, and Alex Cordner, 7. Photo: MICHAEL CHAMBERS
Concerns raised over use of shire money to help fund purchase of McAdam Park
BY NATHAN HALE
SURF Coast Shire remains confident its $200,000 investment in Motorcycling Australia’s purchase of land at Barrabool is a sound decision. The shire has agreed to provide the money to help purchase the land – joining the State Government which has given MA $1.27million. Concerns have been raised by the Barrabool Rural Protection Group, which has discovered that after 10 years, MA can sell the land and keep both the proceeds of sale and the shire’s money. Surf Coast Shire chief executive officer, Mark Davies, confirmed the shire had entered the agreement with MA, but said he was ‘satisfied with the risk’ involved with the deal.
“Council has established an excellent working relationship with Motorcycling Australia and is satisfied that the risk of the land being sold at the conclusion of the agreement is low,” he said. “The agreement between Surf Coast Shire (SCS) and Motorcycling Australia (MA) mirrors that between MA and the State Government, except that the full $200,000 contribution from the SCS must be repaid in full during the 10-year term of the agreement if there is a breach. “The agreement requires MA to fully establish a motorcycling facility during the term of the agreement, including the track and all structures such as clubrooms and spectator stands. “The facility is used by three major motorcycling clubs including the Geelong Motorcross Club and
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than $1.5million of public money for the purchase of land, with no strings attached after 10 years. “Motorcycling Australia’s obligations to the state government conclude after 8.5 years, and to the Surf Coast Shire after 9.5 years. “Beyond that, the community has no security of access to the land and no prospect of getting any money back. “It was also extremely unusual that the Surf Coast Shire held all of its deliberations on this issue ‘in camera’, meaning that there was no opportunity for the decision to be subject to any public scrutiny. “There is nothing whatsoever on the public record which sheds any light on the justification for the shire to give this grant… the secrecy surrounding the whole process is disturbing.”
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holds major regional and state events and is used regularly by all clubs.” The group’s Heather Wellington said she found it distrurbing that the shire would use public funds in such a way, and she also asked why the matter was dealt with ‘behind closed doors’ during council meetings. “We think this is a scandalous application of public monies,” Wellington said. “The question has to be asked: Did the councillors know exactly what they were voting on? “I think it is unbelievable that council is depending on a ‘handshake agreement’ for the use of these public funds. “We are unaware of any similar circumstance in which a private organisation has been gifted more
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