DROUIN ward councillor Terry Williamson has hit out at objectors to a proposed airfield on his farm, saying they have “little knowledge on the subject.”
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The application to build the Drouin South Airfield lodged with the Baw Baw Shire Council was withdrawn earlier this month to avoid costs associated with a panel hearing.
In an update on his public Facebook page, Cr Williamson said he was “astonished” by some of the objections.
“I am disappointed and surprised how people can be so opinionated with so little knowledge on the subject, and without seriously looking into what benefits the project could have provided locally,” Cr Williamson wrote on Saturday.
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“I am also astonished that a lot of objectors come from so far away.”
The council received 143 submissions to the proposal, 110 of which were objections.
Cr Williamson said the positioning of the airfield would have only affected his family.
“Planes will continue to fly over whether our airstrip is used or not. Aviation is not going away. This is a loss to the local community and shire,” Cr Williamson wrote.
“One wonders have these objectors or their relatives ever required the use of aviation services either for holiday destinations or emergency services?”
Let’s hope Cr Williamson is not so subjective when other planning issues come before him to council. His comments seem highly inappropriate for an elected official to make on a planning process like this – even if he was personally involved. What sort of message is this sending to people who have legitimate objections over planning issues before the current council. People have a right to be ‘opinionated’; its how democracy thrives.