Minutes 15-12-10 - Shire of Shark Bay

ORDINARY COUNCIL MINUTES – 15 DECEMBER 2010 17
Background
The Hamelin Pool Common Management Advisory Committee met on 19 November
2010, minutes attached.
The committee recommended the following:
That the Council resolve to relinquish its management order over Reserve 658
(Hamelin Pool Common) in favour of the Department of Environment and
Conservation on the following conditions;
1. That a traffic management plan that ensures access to the Hamelin Pool
Caravan Park and Telegraph Station is submitted to the committee for
consideration.
2. That access to Agreed areas of Basic Raw Material within Reserve 658 (Hamelin
Pool Common) is continued.
3. A management plan being developed by the Department of Environment and
Conservation for the ongoing management of Reserve 658 (Hamelin Pool
Common) being developed and presented to the committee for consideration and
endorsement to Council.
Comment
The members of the advisory committee include representatives from Hamelin Pool
Pastorals Co and Hamelin Pool Post Office and Caravan Park. This structure makes
it difficult as the interest provisions in the Local Government Act apply to members of
committee also. This precludes these members from participating in any discussions
due to a proximity interest. The Department of Environment and Conservation is also
a member and through their employment would also be required to declare an
impartiality interest.
The issue of committee membership will be addressed at a later stage to resolve this
issue.
The lessee of Hamelin Station has subsequently written to the Council outlining a
number of concerns the recommendation of the committee which has been attached
for Council’s consideration.
There appears to have been issues over a period if time in regards to the Hamelin
Pool Common area, these include fencing, stock grazing, water and the disposal of
rubbish.
The correspondence from Hamelin Station provides information in regard to a
number of these issues.
The issue of uncontrolled disposal of waste on the common area poses a number of
environmental issues for the Council, which have been the subject of increased
legislation in recent years. These include but are not limited to the control of the
waste to ensure that it does not leave the tip site, i.e. fencing the type of waste that is
placed in the tip site and the proper disposal of waste at the current site