COUNCIL plans around the controversial Home and Community Care (HACC) Shed in Bombala are firm and the building is planned for completion before the end of the year.
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Bombala Shire Council Director of Regulator Services Grantley Ingraham said the shed would be built despite obstacles.
“We have to have the shed completed by this financial year,” Mr Ingraham said.
“We have just had materials fabricated and we are waiting for them so we can go ahead and erect the building.
“The process has been delayed considerably due to the ongoing dispute but they have all been resolved by council and the shed can continue.”
Councillor Sue Haslingden is disappointed with the location of the HACC Shed and said there had been a lack of transparency surrounding its location.
“I am disappointed that the HACC Shed is going ahead,” Cl Hanslingden said.
“I don’t feel that the location is in the right spot and council should have considered the other three sites proposed.”
Cl Haslingden was also a chairperson on the HACC Committee and felt the location was not tabled correctly and the community was not consulted enough on the proposed location.
Once the footings for the HACC Shed were in place the community members began to realise what impact the shed would have on the site.
Once hundred and fifty residents signed a petition to change the location that was presented to council and 11 objections surrounding the shed location were raised to council.
These included obscuring the view from the library and making disabled access to the library difficult.
Bombala Shire Council’s Mr Ingraham explained that the HACC Shed did not go through the process of a private development application covered by the state government’s legislation on environment and planning infrastructure.
“It is covered under the infrastructure or SEPP and council uses this everyday to build bus shelters or do road works,” Mr Ingraham said.
“It is normal practice for council to use it.”
CL Haslingden said that while she understands that council is only operating under direction she wishes the issue was more transparent.
“In this matter I have tried my best to represent the local community however it has not been successful.”
“I do feel there should have been more transparency on this issue and there were recommendations put towards council to change the location and make use of the existing footings and I don’t feel those were considered.”
Amongst those proposed were a sculpture park and outdoor reading area making use of the existing footings and utilising the riverside location.
