City of Rockingham Minutes – SMRC RRRC WCF Odour Issue – 24 March 2009
6 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
The Mayor opened public question time and invited questions to be presented. (A summary of each question presented and the response follows.)
6.1 Mrs M Clarke, Leeming – SMRC You Tube Videos
Correspondence has been received from Mrs Clarke of Leeming requesting that the following questions to be addressed at the Council Meeting:
1 Considering the disgraceful and insulting content of the recent SMRC You Tube videos towards the residents suffering at the hands of the RRRC Waste Composting Facility’s noxious odour, and the recent action, which we applaud,
that the City of Canning has taken in regards to this issue, what action will the City of Rockingham be taking in regards to the City of Rockingham SMRC representative Councillor Richard Smith’s involvement in the You Tube videos?
The Mayor advised that Council will not be taking any action against its SMRC representative Councillor Richard Smith in respect to the recent You Tube videos.
When Councillor Richard Smith agreed to join the SMRC informal field trip in respect to odour surveys, he did so to gain first hand evidence of any odours. He was not aware that a recording of representatives would be taken until the
bus trip commenced. He was of the opinion that the recording was for personal use and therefore was dismayed that it appeared on You Tube. However, he does not consider the content to be disgraceful or insulting.
2 Will the City of Rockingham be writing to the Minister of Local Government and to the SMRC in regards to the SMRC You Tube videos?
No
3 The City of Canning has recently moved to withdraw from the SMRC’s establishment agreement see details at base of questions. The majority of the City of Canning councillors and Mayor Joe Delle Donne care about the residents and the terrible impact the RRRC WCF odour, and the financial obligations to the SMRC, has had on the 1000’s of ratepayers for which the RRRC WCF was built so close too. Is the City of Rockingham reconsidering it’s involvement in SMRC?
No
4 How will the City of Canning’s withdrawing from the SMRC’s establishment agreement affect the City of Rockingham’s decision/considerations in regards to the proposed facility, similar to the RRRC WCF, that is currently causing so
much controversy?
The Mayor advised that the effect of the City of Canning’s withdrawal from the SMRC’s establishment agreement on the City of Rockingham’s Strategic waste direction is still to be quantified and will be subject to future reports to Council.
