A council committee overseeing the owners of the old Beechworth Gaol should be shutdown because it goes against the country’s “entrepreneurial spirit”, an Indigo councillor believes.
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Emmerick Teissl says the shire should not be interfering with a private business and he will move a motion at Tuesday’s meeting to disband the committee.
“It is not the role of council nor councillors to intervene in the matters of a private business,” his motion states.
“The potential new owners have expressed this desire and as such in a country that thrives on individual’s entrepreneurial spirit they should be allowed to conduct their affairs as they choose to do so.”
Mr Teissl told The Border Mail the shire did not have committees to oversee the private owner of the former Mayday Hills asylum at Beechworth or Uncle Toby’s factory at Wahgunyah.
“I realise it’s a fairly significant site with historical value, but we should respect the private operators who want to get on with conducting their own business,” he said.
Mr Teissl said he backed the committee when a Sydney company was set to be the new gaol owner but did not believe it necessary now a Beechworth consortium was in line for the title deeds.
He suggested it may hinder the new group.
Consortium spokesman Matt Pfahlert has written to Indigo Council seeking to have the committee axed.
Former mayor and councillor Bernard Gaffney said it was wrong to end the advisory group when the prison sale was still to be settled and the consortium’s members were unidentified.
“We don’t know who has purchased the gaol – a lot wonder why the spokesperson is so secretive,” Cr Gaffney said.
“It’s very strange a consortium would purchase a property and not have a plan as to what it wants to do with the property.”
Cr Gaffney added the council would enter caretaker mode in three weeks and it would be odd to act now.
He ridiculed Cr Teissl’s argument the council should not meddle with private enterprise.
“Next thing we will be having illuminated signs in the main streets of Beechworth and Rutherglen, because council shouldn’t interfere with business,” Cr Gaffney said.
“Council interferes with business every day, if that wasn’t the case we shouldn’t have planning regulations.”
Cr Gaffney said there was a clear public interest in having the committee.
“There is community concern that currently the gaol is being demolished by neglect,” he said.
“This community wants the gaol preserved as part of Beechworth’s culture, history and heritage.
“It must be preserved at all costs.”
