UPDATE
***This afternoon Ben Shaw the Deputy Mayor of the Derwent Valley Council stated that a working group has been formed and met last night to discuss access to the site. The meeting, he reported had members from outside interest groups, (not including Willow Court History Group) a Paranormal group and internal Committee’s of Council, Friends of Frascati, Friends of Willow Court, Councillors and Council Staff. Two Members of the FoWC attended last night.***
Three member of the Friends of Willow Court, which is a Special Committee of the Derwent Valley Council attended and asked question of the Councillors at the August Council Meeting. It would appear that the Derwent Valley Council, as owners and operators of Willow Court Heritage Site are dragging their feet when it comes to approving events or even having a simple process in place to approve access to the site.
The Derwent Valley Council have now been sitting on a planned events calendar from the Friends of Willow Court for nearly 12 months (August). It appears no feedback or acknowledgement has been forthcoming from the Council to their own committee.
5.2.3 Mr Tony Nicholson – Friends of Willow Court (FoWC) Calendar of Events
Mr Nicholson queried why the Friends of Willow Court (FoWC) had not received feedback or comment from the Council on a Calendar of events for Willow Court which has been provided by Councillor Pearce almost twelve months ago.
With the community keen to have Willow Court open and in use, why have Council not communicated with FoWC on our calendar of events?
The Mayor indicated that the Council was continuing to clarify the Terms of Reference following which there will be further consideration of a expression of interest process.
In another question, Mrs Vivviane De Brassac, a representative of the Friends of Willow Court asked about the sudden installation of information panels before the Dark MOFO event and inquired why Councilor Bester did not approach the Friends of Willow Court for information or assistance. The committee holds immense information of the site’s history with the presence of Local Historian and historical Author Tony Nicholson. Mr Bester clearly had time to consult the Friends of Frascati in gaining information about the Frascati Panel but couldn’t make a phone call to any members of the FoWC or the Council’s representative Cr Pearce.
5.2.4 Mrs Vivienne de Bressac – Consultation with Friends of Willow Court (FoWC)
Representative
Mrs de Bressac queried why Councillor Pearce was not asked to engage with the FoWC to develop the interpretation panels installed in the Willow Court Barracks given that he is the Council representative. Mrs de Bressac noted that Councillor Bester who is the Council representative for Friends of Frascati had been involved in the development of the interpretation panels for both Frascati House and Willow Court Barracks precinct.
The Mayor indicated that given the short time frame to ensure information panels were available for the Dark Mofo Event, the General Manager had organised for the installation to occur immediately.
Derwent Valley Council Minutes – 18 August 2016 Page 15
Next the Chair of the Friends Of Willow Court expressed disappointment in the lack of consultation and asked why if there was time to gather information about the panel for Frascati House that Councillor Pearce wasn’t given the same information to gather information for the Willow Court site from the FoWC?
5.2.5 Mrs Anne Salt – Communications with Friends of Willow Court (FoWC)
Mrs Salt stated that Section 9 of the Derwent Valley Council Code of Conduct Policy states:
Councillors will promote participation by all sections of the community by seeking their views and opinions and by ensuring that appropriate stakeholders have the opportunity to be involved in decisions that affect them.
It was noticed by the FoWC during the Dark Mofo event that interpretation panels were installed in the Willow Court Barracks. Interpretation panels had been a topic of discussion between the previous Willow Court Conservation Committee and the FoWC, and we are very disappointed not to have been made aware by the Council that the panels were to be installed.
We are more disappointed to learn that Cr Bester consulted with the Friends of Frascati on the content of the panel for Frascati House, when Cr Pearce and the FoWC were not consulted on the content of the panels to be installed in the Willow Court precinct.
Given there was time to consult with the Friends of Frascati, why was Friends of Willow Court not consulted or involved in the development of the Willow Court precinct panels?
The Mayor indicated that given the short time frame to ensure information panels were available for the Dark Mofo Event, the General Manager had organised for the installation to occur immediately.
There is a pattern of behaviour appearing and has been for some time that the Council won’t communicate with it’s own Committee and it now appears to be keeping one of it’s own Councillor’s in the dark about works and planning. Chair of FoWC Anne Salt pointed to the Council’s own code of conduct and it’s failure in this process.