Oatley Flora & Fauna Conservation Society
Oatley Flora & Fauna Conservation Society would like to acknowledge the Bidjigal people of the Eora nation, the Traditional Custodians of the Land and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Increased Support for Landcare
OFF has commenced a campaign to increase Federal Govt funding for Landcare, Greening Australia and like minded organisations. Letters have been written to Senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie (Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience) requesting their assistance. Members are asked to support this important campaign by also writing to the Federal politicians who care about our planet and the impact of climate change.
OFF Walk Reports
Local Walking Tracks
The objectives of the Society are:
- To stimulate interest in Australian flora and fauna;
- To act to protect and foster an interest in the natural environment, particularly at the local level;
- To foster an understanding of the need to conserve the natural environment and resources; and
- To cooperate with other groups to achieve these objectives at local, state, national and international level.
Become a Society Member and Get Involved!
Members get access to monthly walks and regular evening talks on a range of fascinating topics. Our family memberships cost $25.00.
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Our beautiful Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) is starting to bloom in our garden. 🌺🌳
🌿Our FREEDOM TO SPEAK at Council ![]()
🌳🌳MEETINGS IS UNDER THREAT🌳🌳![]()
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿![]()
OFF has been a strong environmental and community advocate since 1955. ![]()
Our campaigns have included saving Myles Dunphy Reserve and Oatley Park from development, keeping our Foreshore Scenic Protections, the acquisition of Glenlee and a healthy Georges River. ![]()
One very effective way of highlighting these issues and effecting change has been our ability speak at the public forum at council meetings. ![]()
However our democratic right to speak to our councillors is under threat!![]()
To preserve this important right, please do a quick submission now, using this template, as they are due this Friday. 👇![]()
tinyurl.com/6hzjbkkk![]()
🌳🌿🌳🌿🌳🌿🌳🌿🌳🌿🌳🌿🌳![]()
Below is OFF’s submission 👇![]()
January 31st 2023 ![]()
SUBMISSION ![]()
On behalf of Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society, I request you oppose the recommendation that Public ![]()
Forums are to be separated from Council Meetings. Within the extensive report prepared for you (see the reference ![]()
below), I refer to the final paragraph on page 19, I quote, and draw your attention to the final sentence in bold type: ![]()
“A clear risk area is where councillors interact with members of the public during meetings. This can occur at any meeting where a gallery is present and is even more likely where the council incorporates a public forum session within the council business agenda. This only invites disorder where controversial issues are aired and makes it more difficult for the mayor/meeting chair to control. The other risk is that, in the fervour of the moment the council moves to a formal resolution on a matter without due preparation, advice and deliberation. Current guidelines recommend separating the public forum session from the formal business agenda and there are grounds to suggest that this should be made mandatory”.![]()
I also refer to Recommendation XVII, on the following page in the report, I quote: ![]()
“That as well as addressing the matters mentioned elsewhere in this report concerning review of the code of conduct, attention be given to addressing the transparency and risk issues mentioned in Section 5” (which includes the paragraph above). ![]()
Public Forums in Council Meetings are the last opportunity for the community to voice concerns directly to Councillors, ![]()
and any Council Staff who are present. Councillors can then debate the issues raised and be accountable for their ![]()
decisions, which are made in the meeting in front of the community. ![]()
This is complete transparency. It is also the principles of democracy where ‘people power’ can be fully exercised. ![]()
My colleagues at Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society and myself have written many submissions and attended, and spoken, at countless public forums which are part of the Georges River Council meetings. It is quite clear to us public forums are critical for the Councillors to hear and understand the key points of our written submissions. We were thankful when Georges River Councillors did not support the 2019 proposal to remove Public Forums from Council Meetings. ![]()
It is incredibly disappointing there are recommendations in the report mentioned below for the Office of Local Government to mandate ‘separating the public forum session from the formal business agenda’ of a council meeting. ![]()
We strongly oppose this recommendation and want Public Forums to remain as part of Council Meetings. ![]()
Thank you for your time and patience in reading this letter. You and your colleagues in the NSW Parliament must ![]()
protect the democratic right of each person to publicly address their duly elected local government representatives at local council meetings. ![]()
Kind regards ![]()
Adrian Polhill – Vice President ![]()
Mark Coure MP Georges River Council Bushcare David Coleman – Member for Banks Bankstown Bushland Society St George District Residents Network Inc. Saving Sydneys Trees Georges River Liberals Save Glenlee Lugarno Mortdale Village Community Georges River Residents & Ratepayers Kogarah Bay Progress Association Inc Georges River Labor Sutherland Shire Environment Centre Oatley Lions Club Animal Justice Party NSW Myles Dunphy Reserve Backyard Save Manly Dam Bushland Oatley Neighbourhood Group
Two lovely unexpected visitors in our garden. After a three week stay, these Brush turkeys chicks have now become permanent Oatley residents! 🦤🤎🦤
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