Harden Shire Council October Business Meeting- Galong Village Hall
B-Double Policy Rescission Motion and Notice of Motion The ‘B-Double and 4.6 Metre High Vehicle Route Assessment for Regional and Local Roads Policy’ has been adopted as publicly exhibited, after a Rescission Motion and Notice of Motion was passed in a 4-3 vote. In essence, the policy has now deleted the provision that was inserted in last month’s meeting that entailed providing a fee proposal to the applicant who wants to have a route assessed. Applicants for a B-Double route assessment will now have no fee levied upon them, and internal costs of route assessments will now be borne by Council. SP3 Tourism Zone Moppity Wines Council voted unanimously to approve the SP3 Tourism Zone to be gazetted and mapped by the Department of Planning and Environment, with Council bearing the internal costs of the process. However, questions were asked of the flexibility of the zoning, and it was resolved by Council to reassess the restrictions imposed by the zoning in the broader Local Environmental Plan (LEP) examination currently being carried out. Councillor Tony Flanery identified that several uses such as business premises, electrical generation facilities, exhibition homes, high tech industries and livestock facilities were not permitted under SP3 zoning, and that they should be allowed. The concern came after Cootamundra Shire Council voted to prevent the establishment of electrical generation facilities (such as solar farms) on agricultural land. Councillor Chris Manchester added that it “wouldn’t hurt to look at other areas in the Shire that could be rezoned as tourist areas.” Heavier Mass Limit Applications – Bundarbo and Hangman’s Bridge Assessments Council approved the funding of bridge assessments for the Bundarbo and Hangman’s Bridges, as part of several applications for Heavier Mass Limits (HML) for routes traversing them. This would allow an extra three tonnes per semi-trailer and 5.5 tonnes per B-Double. The bridges are to be funded by both Section 94 funds and Council’s own funds. However, in the case of Hangman’s Bridge on Galong Road, Council moved that the bridge be included in the Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) currently being negotiated between Harden Shire Council and the Sibelco mining company. This would potentially allow the costs of the bridge’s assessment to be reimbursed through the VPA. Undetectable Leak Policy The Undetectable Water Leak Policy was approved by Council, with the clarification that the policy pertains only to rural-residential properties, and does not include non-residential properties. Rutland Estate Covenant Council moved to seek the consent of affected land holders at Rutland Estate to remove the covenant currently in place. The covenant limits the designs and building materials of homes under its jurisdiction. After the removal is consented to, a Development Control Plan (DCP) will replace the Covenant after a period of public exhibition. Fit for the Future Response Councillors discussed the next course of action for Harden Shire Council after the announcement of Fit for the Future assessments was made last week. Council moved to confer with Cootamundra Shire Council before embarking on any other course of action. A meeting will take place this Thursday October 29 between Harden Shire Council and Cootamundra Shire Councils at the Harden Shire Council Chambers to decide what to do next. “Before November 18, we will need to hold an extra-ordinary meeting to decide our formal position,” said General Manager, Trevor Drowley. Councils now have until November 18 to submit their formal response to the Fit for the Future assessment findings.
