Wodonga Council slated by ex-mayor Kev Poulton for hills delays

The council was slated to adopt a series of re-prioritised actions for the hills at its meeting on Monday June 19, 2023.

However, councillor Libby Hall successfully moved that the matter be delayed so a council workshop could be held to discuss the reasoning behind the planned changes.

Cr Poulton said staff had been empowered to "tidy up what's been a basket case for some years" and now it appeared it could be thrown out with councillors putting their "fingerprints all over it".

"Other surrounding shires, some with much less money than us...have embraced everything around them, embraced a vision, a potential within their community with their natural assets and have gone and delivered that, while we're still sitting here wondering whether we've got the formula right," Cr Poulton said.

"I think that looks extremely embarrassing to delay that any further, but I understand and I also share with Cr Hall's concerns around the fact that how do we best get that right and defuse the situation and actually do something."

Councillor Graeme Simpfendorfer said that: "We're quickly becoming the hole in the donut with what's happening around us with hills strategies."

Cr Hall's motion to delay the consideration of the rejigged plan was supported 4-2 with councillors Poulton and Simpfendorfer the naysayers.

The hills plan was adopted in October 2017 with a table of actions approved by council in June 2019.

A community backlash about a lack of consultation over an advisory committee then followed with council deciding last November that the current table of actions be reviewed and a report presented to a council meeting no later than this month.

The council's planning and infrastructure director Leon Schultz said six to nine staff had been assigned to look at 135 actions.

Capital works top priorities include sealing the entry road to Huon Hill, a picnic and rest area at Klings Hill and improved signage at Federation and Bears hills with a clear alert to private land, near the latter, needed.

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