Unley's slow letters

 Residents in Everard Park are furious about the City of Unley's tardy postage of notification letters about a scheduled planning meeting to decide a planning application in Everard Park.

Residents didn't turn up at the meeting to make representation because they were not notified prior to the meeting. Some got a letter a few hours before and others have yet to receive a letter in their mailbox.

Its just not good enough. And it is not fair to blame Australia Post.

We all know that postal deliveries are slow and Unley Council should have planned around this and posted the letters much earlier.

A local resident is so furious that has sent a letter to The Advertiser and copied the 2 local councillors.

Here's an extract (in blue) of his email (with minor edits) ... 

Hi,

 

I would like to comment on a development application ...

 

A ‘non-compliant’ application was submitted to the Unley Council,  to build a 4 story(5 if you include the plant and equipment on the roof). The zoning here is RC150(residential; up to 3 stories and minimum dwelling size of 150m2).

The design was totally commercial in looks, and had no sympathy to the adjoining heritage building or other surrounding residential dwellings at all.

Well over 80 ‘representations against the proposal, were lodged; many showed their intention  to speak at the Council Assessment Panel(CAP), when it was to be heard.

 

Letters were apparently sent out to those people on the 4/3/21 through Australia Post, letting them know that the CAP meeting was to be heard on Tuesday 16/3/21 at 6:30pm.

Some received their letters 2or 3 days before the meeting, one received hers 1.5 hours before the meeting, and others, no letter at all!

At the CAP meeting, hardly anyone against this proposal, turned up. Only 3 people spoke on the night. It was mentioned that many letters had arrived late, yet the hearing proceeded, and the proposal was approved.

The late arrival of these letters gave many, no chance to prepare for this meeting, and those that didn’t receive a letter, no chance at all!

 

My question here is, why can’t the Council send out emails instead of using Australia post, or both? At least we would receive notification in plenty of time!

 

Overall, I was completely disappointed by how the Unley Council ran this whole event, and their total  lack of assessing this proposed development against their own Development Plan!

 

Not good enough Unley Council!

This is just so unacceptable.

I call on Unley Mayor Michael Hewitson to fix the problem.

It's a problem that should not have happened if mail-outs had considered slower postal deliveries due to Covid-19.

Residents have lost their trust in their Council.