[Webmaster: an edited version was published in The Islander 2012.05.03, with most of Council’s action cut out. Here’s the complete, original version.]

Fact or faction

Thank you for your prominent display of my long and protracted argument with Council in regard to the naming of roads on Kangaroo Island (The Islander, April 12 page 1). Unfortunately your article tells only part of the story and I feel paints the Council in a somewhat rosier light than it deserves.

Twelve months ago I was advised by Council that the private road on which I live was to be named Mary Bell Road. I was unhappy with this choice and wrote to Council suggesting the name Box Point Road as a more relevant name, as it runs directly behind Box Point, a well known landmark at Stokes Bay. According to Council Road Naming Procedure, the owner of the land and all abutting residents were advised of the objection and asked to choose between the two names. A 75% majority preferred Box Point Road.

In June I was advised that Council had ignored the wishes of the landowners and retained the original name. I contacted councillors and pointed out that this was undemocratic and a failure by Council to represent the wishes of the landowners affected by this decision. Several councillors chose to investigate further and agreed that the decision was a poor one, and also agreed to rescind the motion and name the road according to the majority’s wish. This was accomplished at the July meeting, which I attended. Several Councillors, notably Cr. Boxall and Cr. Wilson, spoke very strongly against rescinding previous decisions made by Council and voted against. Such a view seems to me to be rather narrow, suggesting that Council is infallible, an unlikely scenario.

During this time, Council decided to review its Road Naming Policy, making changes that would negate its obligation to landowners and give Council the right to do what it liked. I assumed this was in response to my complaint, as the changes would effectively gag troublesome and vexatious people like myself. I did object to the changes for that very reason but the policy was changed.

Given what had gone before, you can imagine my surprise when, at the very next Council meeting, Cr. Boxall moved to rescind the name Box Point Road and replace it with another [of his own choice]! Unfortunately the motion had to lay on the table as the new Policy was not quite cooked. However, at the next opportune moment, Council voted to rescind and rename. No consultation took place, no names were suggested, no documentation supporting the decision was produced and no reasons were offered.

The Ombudsman considers this an “administrative error” but does not define it as deliberate or accidental. He also did not consider it in the public interest to take action to correct it, a view I find bizarre considering that all decisions made by Council, large or small, affect the public eventually. I should point out that no decisions relevant to this matter have been unanimous, with division generally along factional lines.

I have come to understand that the Ombudsman will only consider the letter of the law, not justice or fairness, so perhaps we need an Ombudsman for that as well. This whole saga has turned into a sorry game of “spit the dummy”, with the ruling faction changing the rules to suit their ends. I cannot have confidence in a Council that is ruled by 5 or 6 people who consider their collective wisdom to be infallible and right, regardless of the wishes of those they purport to represent. I congratulate those councillors swimming against the tide and urge them to remain strong, fair and just, and in the words of Don Chip, “keep the bastards honest”.

Daniel Pattingale
Box Point Road, Kangaroo Island