Several posts ago we brought up the issue of the ‘exchange of land’ involving the Coatesville Tennis Club. We cited what Magee had said in council meeting – namely that the intention was merely to develop the area to accommodate disabled players PLUS: “to put in some new courts which council has already agreed to help them…and also by giving over the land adjacent to the tennis courts, council land,…increase the footprint of the tennis courts ..and in return council will pick up the two tennis courts now in Mackie reserve. …. the club has been informed this week that the state government will be looking very favourably on matching council’s contribution …so I recommend this as a first step to our colleagues…..”
We also questioned when, how, and by whom the decision for the above had taken place. Nothing has occurred in an open council meeting! Nothing has been voted on as far as we can tell in an open council meeting! Nothing has been itemised for ‘in camera’ discussions – as far as we can tell.
What we do know however, is that on September 1st, 2009 the following Request for a Report was made –
Crs Magee/Hyams
That a report be prepared on the feasibility of relocating the two tennis courts on Mackie Reserve in East Bentleigh to 31 Orange Street in East Bentleigh.
The MOTION was put and CARRIED unanimously.
NO SUCH REPORT HAS BEEN TABLED AT COUNCIL MEETING! It appears that once again decisions are far from transparent and public. That requests for a report are meaningless exercises since they are never tabled, and perhaps never see the light of day. We again offer our pages to Jim Magee and/or Jamie Hyams, in order to explain what appear to be extraordinary circumstances that leave us befuddled, bemused, and suspicious!!!!!
Because nothing is out in the open, we are left to merely conjecture, to try and piece one and two together. Our conclusions are depressingly always the same: decisions keep being made behind closed doors against the spirit of Section 3C of the Local Government Act which, we remind readers, was the favourite lament of the Muncipal Inspector!
Glen Eira Debates 
November 29, 2010 at 11:37 PM
Now let me get this straight. Over a year ago Magee and Hyams ask for something to be tabled. It never is. No-one knows anything about anything but like pulling rabbits from a hat, it suddenly becomes reality. Hey Jimbo, you could make a fortune as a magician with such talent! Only problem is that the processes of decision making are hidden. Gosh, for all we know, this could have been decided in an assembly of councillors and the last council meeting was merely the rubber stamp. But hey, you guys wouldn’t do something so awful as that, now would you? it’s against the law and we’re all such law abiding citizens, aren’t we?