In May last year Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club commenced renovations at their club house before hosting the Australian IRB Championships. During the course of that work, previously undiscovered minor damage came to light and TSLSC proceeded to include it in the work being undertaken and which now involved roof removal. With the roof removed work proceeded and was within a few days of lockup when a council representative directed work be halted as no DA had been issued for the extra work.
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TSLSC was then advised the Licence to Occupy (LTO) had expired and the DA would not be approved until the LTO was signed off.
An LTO was prepared and after discussions the signed document was submitted.
What followed was not DA approval but a new LTO which TSLSC was again asked to sign. This most recent one was more expansive and included several items which TSLSC was strongly opposed too.
These included:
- TSLSC were responsible for looking after the northern car park which adjoins the clubhouse and parking arrangements therein.
- A council officer could at any time during the currency of the LTO bar TSLSC from using any or all of the building and claim it for council's use. In addition council would only enter into a one year lease. This LTO was signed under duress and submitted to council. Council refused to accept it.
One can draw the conclusion council see TSLSC efforts as futile and inhibits members in doing what they are there for, life saving.
This LTO was signed and returned with a rider it was signed under duress. The reason for signing was TSLSC wanted to finish renovations. Council are still to approve the DA. They are unlikely to do so until TSLSC unreservedly sign their LTO.
Fourteen months after starting the project, it is still to be finished and TSLSC has to pay the ongoing cost of protective fencing, money which could be better utilized. Mean while the clubhouse remains in a state of disarray as equipment storage has been compromised by lack of building action due to council stagnation.
As a Thirroul resident and TSLSC member I'm disgusted by what our council have done and failed to do. They have the staff to continue hindering the volunteers trying to run TSLSC and improve the clubhouse for council's benefit.
I suggest other SLSC's and voluntary organizations look carefully at any LTO Wollongong council ask them to sign.
I also offer thanks for the dedicated executive and building committee of TSLSC for fighting so strongly for our club and its members.
Ross Taylor Thirroul
GUESS WHO?
Last weekend on the History Channel, I watched a 10-year-old doco about Howard and Bush's war in Iraq.
During the show, General Charles Horner, the chief planner of strategic air attacks by the USAF in Desert Storm, stated:
'We considered we would win this conflict in a very short space of time because we knew our opponent was a narcissistic megalomaniac who had surrounded himself with 'YES MEN' of equal incompetence.'
Can you guess who I thought of straight away?
Bob Young, Mount Keira. .