Doomed bid cost $250k
THE Kingborough Council has spent nearly $250,000 on the proposed Kingston Beach surf lifesaving club and restaurant at Osborne Esplanade, which it ultimately voted against.
In response to a question of notice from councillor Dean Winter at the coming Monday’s full council meeting, deputy general manager Tony Ferrier revealed the council had spent a total of $46,371 on architectural services and other consultants while putting together a development application for the site in conjunction with the club and a group of restaurateurs.
This fee does not include council staff time spent on the ultimately doomed proposal, nor the $200,000 the council spent on buying a block of land behind the Osborne Esplanade site to allow another point of access on the site.
The $1.2 million proposal — which would have included clubrooms, 24-hour public toilets and showers, an 80-seat restaurant and a takeaway coffee and ice cream shop — was rejected by the council earlier this month for not meeting planning scheme requirements, with 24 examples of non-compliance.
Mr Ferrier said a review of future use and development options for the site was under way.
But Cr Winter said the council had let ratepayers down.
“Not only did council spend 18 months preparing the development application for the site, it spent $50,000 of ratepayers’ money doing it,” he said.
“Kingborough locals eagerly awaiting this development, particularly our surf lifesaving club volunteers, have been let down.”
Former Kingborough councillor and now Liberal member for Franklin Nic Street said the whole issue was “a mind boggling level of waste and incompetence”.
“Councillors owe it to the surf club, the private proponents who signed an MOU with council in good faith and Kingborough’s ratepayers to make this development happen,” he said.
Kingborough mayor Steve Wass said the council was still working with the surf club regarding future options for a new home.
“We have had discussions this week with the club and will have further ones,” he said.