SNUBBED again.

The Star
By Jane Ross


The Premier John Brumby and Water Minister Tim Holding were in Wonthaggi early on Friday afternoon.

They visited the desalination plant site while their minders kept a lid on questions from the press.

But nobody thought to tell Bass Coast Council they were coming.

Mayor Cr Peter Paul was “gobsmacked” when The Star asked him late that day whether he knew about the visit.

He didn’t.

“I’m absolutely devastated.”

Cr Paul said he and shire CEO Allan Bawden, were at a Gippsland Local Government network meeting in Traralgon on Friday.

Had he known, Cr Paul said he would have stayed in Wonthaggi to greet the high-level visitors.

“It’s disappointing.

“Where does that fit with effective community liaison?

“It’s basic protocol or plain good manners.

“We should not and need not continue like that.”


Speaking of manners, in January this year, Mr Brumby handed Planning Minister Justin Madden a second responsibility: Minister for Respect.

Told of the snub, Nationals Leader Peter Ryan declared: “It’s typical arrogance by a government that has completely lost touch with its country constituents.

“They should be ashamed of themselves.

“What an ignorant, ignorant thing to do.”

Mr Bawden was less distressed.

“It’s happened before, I’m not surprised.

“It is disappointing – it wouldn’t have happened once.”

Mr Bawden said until Friday, the Premier had not been to the shire since the desalination plant was announced in mid-2006.

And that was kept secret from the council too.

“We don’t get many opportunities to talk to the Premier or Water Minister.

“This is not going to help the relationship!”

Asked if indeed there was a relationship between the State Government and the council, Mr Bawden replied in measured tone: “The council has always kept the door open to try to have good communication with the government.”

He said AquaSure, the consortium building and charged with running the plant, would be a ratepayer in Bass Coast for the 30 year life of the plant.

“They are going to be part of our community. It is disappointing when the government won’t allow any discussion about it.”

In another twist, Cr Paul said he hoped to alter the tenor of desalination community liaison committee meetings.

He will speak tomorrow night with that group’s chair John Nicol, ahead of the next committee meeting on Thursday.

Cr Paul told the May meeting of Bass Coast Council that he wanted to change the “how great thou art between AquaSure and Degrémont” that pervades liaison group gatherings.

In his view, community questions should have priority, with construction updates to follow – if there is time. As it stands, the meetings run the other way around.

Cr Paul represents the shire on that committee which meets once a month for a couple of hours.

Mr Brumby and Mr Holding inspected progress at the desalination plant, following a stop off at Caldermeade where the first of 87kms of underground power infrastructure was laid.