YET again residents find themselves pleading with the council to come clean - when will they ever learn?

Every election we hear the same rhetoric of 'we are listening, we will consult, we are here for you'. Yet with one day's notice and by their own admission, no residents were consulted and listened to when it came to'Cloudland' style the demolition of the shelters at Pioneer Park.

The issue here is not so much that the shelters were deemed unsafe due to apparent white ant damage; that's something that most locals have probably been aware of for many years, especially in the case of the old tennis shed. The issue is not really that the sheds needed to be removed and replaced for these reasons.

The main concern and gripe here is the manner and speed in which these sheds were demolished, some two weeks before the annual Swanfels reunion, an event that is always held in the shelters this time of year, and an event that Council were aware of.

These sheds may well have had damage and no longer compliant with modern safety standards, much like most of the old dwellings in this shire. Yet they have stood the test of time and numerous wild storms and remained solid.

What difference would say two or three months have made in relation to the structural integrity of the sheds?

It would on the other hand have been time for real and productive communication and consultation with locals as to the long term needs and desires of a much used and admired piece of history.

We the locals are now left with the understanding of councils preferred method of community consultation: silence. They have said so much with so few words - they have basically said "up yours, we'll do what we deem in our best interests regardless of what you mere insignificant bunch of ratepayers think”.

Rest assured council, you will be held to account. Apparently we are to be getting a new shelter by November?

Let's hope these same wise souls who were so quick to make the decision to demolish, can use the same approach when designing and constructing a new shelter.

However, given that we would expect a similar size (9m x 6m) and astheticly appealing shelter with a concrete floor and power, to what we previously had, albeit no doubt in steel, we are left to wonder 'which November'?

Mayor Tracy and deputy Jo, you are the face of Council-you may not make the decisions but you are ultimately responsible from the communities point of view to be seen at the very least to be consultive-not insultive.

Come on Council, you are not dictators. Let's work together for a productive and constructive future for our region.

Les Donges