When I was a child it was common knowledge that if the gate was hard to open all you needed to do was put a little oil on it and work at it a bit.
If it was still stubborn, you kept adding more oil until it would swing wide; you just had to have enough oil. For some time it has been diffi cult to understand why some people can do something illegal, council takes them to court or says they have to remove a building etc. then suddenly, all is made ok. For example, how could the tip at Mangrove Mountain have been approved without Gosford Council’s permission? Could it have been legal without the knowledge of, let alone the permission of, the owners? When the local people questioned how and why, a court case ensued, but behind the scenes, council entered negotiations to take over land bought for the local people’s benefi t; to be held in trust by our local RSL sub-branch. It was sold for a fraction of its value to the very people who had done the original dirty deal. I have learned a bit more about the Gateway process; apparently if council refuses a development application, the state government has a solution. For the sum of around $19,000, you can enter the Gateway process, and by so oiling the process, you are guaranteed permission, however, some restrictions may be applied. I wonder how much oil would be required to get rid of the gate altogether? Was it a coincidence that a member of both Gosford Council and the State Government was involved with the tip deal, and was happy with the solution? How much is it worth to risk contamination of the entire Central Coast water supply? Gosford Council’s general manager said he had referred it to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), but council still went ahead with the deal. Why? If there was an ICAC inquiry, why haven’t we heard about the outcome? Or was it oiled out of existence? There are a lot of trucks going into a site on George Downes Dr; I haven’t yet seen a development application. Is this another water for oil deal? Is Wyong Council in the picture now too? Somehow it is starting to appear that oil can solve anything but only if you have enough. But do we really want to live in such a slippery world? Recently I heard our prime minister tell a group of primary students that “pride + money = happiness”. Apparently you can be proud if you accumulate money, regardless of how you get it, because it gives you power to get more. Personally I would rather be at peace with my conscience, how about you?
Letter, 27 Nov 29014
Clara Jones, Kulnura