The writer doesn’t recognise openness in decision making, accountability and community consultation as a policy. Neither do Mayor Watson and his Independents team.

Giving well-connected people a walk-up start and ignoring the views of whole communities are Mayor Watson’s policies.

Shoalhaven Action Campaign policy is a level playing field and meaningful community consultation with candidates pledged to end secret deals.

The Mayor’s team sold Huskisson’s public carpark to Huscorp for less than market price then rezoned it to make it at least twice as valuable. In Nowra they sold 6000 square metres of public land to Huscorp for $990,000 when others offered $1.86 million. Not a bad deal except, of course, for us ratepayers. They threw in the use of another 3000 square metres for free in a prime site alongside of a $28 million entertainment centre.

The Department of Local Government found no paperwork to say why.

How is that for a policy? Yet E. Crowley doesn’t complain.

But wait, for the Nowra site, Huscorp wrote its own Development Control Plan which council planning staff rubbished but Mayor Watson’s team adopted.

Good planning with a level playing field creates jobs. Bad planning where only some developers are favoured to stand up awful box buildings will destroy the beauty and atmosphere which attracts tourists, growth, development and jobs,

I am not a member of Shoalhaven Action Campaign. I have worked with them to develop honest open accountable practice and policies to ensure growth and jobs. Shoalhaven has a high growth rate. This can be maintained and encouraged with good planning.

Communities determining their future with council helping them to realise their vision, protect investment in home life style small and large business is the way to go!

Are communities planning their own futures going to destroy business and jobs? Of course not.

E. Crowley appears to me to say let’s ignore the culture of improper practice, playing favourites and bad planning, then argues it will create jobs. An inaccurate and dangerous view of the world.

J. Hatton,

Huskisson.