SINCE the 1970s, Jude McQueeney of Wangi Wangi has had good reasons to lobby and sometimes lock horns with Lake Macquarie City Council.
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In that time she’s had some wins, and some losses.
But one thing she says has not varied during all of her dealings with city hall is the dilligence of the elected councillors.
“I don’t think that the councillors get enough raps,” Ms McQueeney, 77, said.
“Since the late 70s and 80s I’ve been involved with council over everything from sewerage to koala habitat protection. I don’t always get the results I want, but you get a good hearing from the councillors. You can’t ask for more than that.”
Ms McQueeney was in a buoyant mood this week after councillors voted down a proposal to reclassify council-owned land behind her home in David Street.
Council had been considering a proposal to reclassify and sell the land, as one or two housing blocks, as the land was deemed surplus to council’s needs.
Ms McQueeney said it wasn’t until several councillors took the time and made the effort to inspect the site, and listen to residents’ concerns, that “the right” decision was made in the chamber.
“The councillors took the matter very seriously, they came and had a look, and they listened,” she said.
Ms McQueeney was among a group of residents who argued that the drainage and engineering works required to create housing lots on the site would ultimately have cost council more money that it stood to make from the land sale; that the privacy of existing David Street residents (and those in the proposed new lots) would have been lost when the three-storey buildings under construction at the adjacent Wangi Shores Retirement Village were completed; and that the necessary rear access to properties in David Street and Dobell Drive would have been lost.
“I’m very grateful to Cr Wendy Harrison and all of the councillors, actually,” Ms McQueeney said.
“So many people around here are relieved that Lake Macquarie Council will be standing alone and not merging with anyone.”