It has now been 9 days since my email to Tony Green and 6 days since my email to Tweed Shire Head Engineer Nigel, councilors, and Mayor Chris Cherry and I have received NO answers/responses to my questions. 

This is how the Tweed Shire Council treats their ratepayers and community. SHAME ON YOU TWEED SHIRE COUNCIL. 

 EMAIL AS BELOW:

"It has now been nearly one month since our first email communication, phone calls to you all, and our persistent queries to you regarding the hidden agenda and works for a 10-meter-high stink pipe to be constructed on McAllisters Road and Buenavista Avenue. Regrettably, we are yet to receive any responses or even clear and satisfactory responses to the questions we've raised.

Just to get things straight, we do not need clarification as to the reasons to have vent pipes. We understand the need for them. 

No clear answers have been given, and only 1 person (myself) was allowed to give a limited 5-minute timed speech at the public forum on October 26th 2023. We were not allowed to ask questions (as per Tweed Shire Council public forum rules) but councilors were allowed to ask questions - which they had none for me.

We want our questions answered as below, this can no longer be left in Cameron (project engineer) hands to deal with us as he not making the decisions, and is unable to answer our questions. 

We need answers from you and we demand that you furnish answers to the following questions in writing:

1. Who made the decision, and what was the rationale behind the construction of a 10-meter high pipe on McAllisters Road in Bilambil Heights, when there is a less obtrusive ½ meter pipe readily available instead of a 10-meter high?
2. We require you to confirm the odors produced and the smells generated by ventilation pipes ranging from ½ meter to 10 meters in height. Some assert that there will be no odors, and we insist on receiving this in writing. It is imperative to emphasize that our homes and those of our neighbors are two-story structures and this pipe is planned to go right out the front of them.
3. There is an existing older pipe only five houses down from the corner of McAllister Road and Buenavista Avenue. You stated over the phone that one such pipe is required for every 50 houses. In light of this, why is a new pipe being constructed in such close proximity to an existing one? Also, most pipes are located in parks and reserves.
4. Why is the council not considering the construction of new manholes and an updated sewage system in areas earmarked for future development? This should have been addressed during the approval of new developments. According to Nigel, the Head Engineer at Tweed Shire Council, he told us over the phone that the current sewage system is operating effectively in Bilambil Heights, and the proposed 10-meter high ventilation pipe is intended for future developments.
5. I have repeatedly requested a list and map that displays the alleged 220 10-meter high pipes in the shire. To date, we have not been provided with this list to substantiate the council's claims. I have received 21 pictures showing approximately 11 pipes from Tweed Shire, with addresses that depict pipes not all 10 meters in height. The remaining 10 or so pictures of pipes in front of homes also do not meet the 10-meter height criterion. Furthermore, Tim Mackney made erroneous claims on ABC North Coast radio regarding the presence of 220 10-meter pipes in the area. The evidence I have received does not support this assertion, as most of the pipes are not situated in front of homes.
6. Why is vacant land found around Bilambil Heights not considered as an alternative location for the construction of a new manhole? If the existing pipes in that area are insufficient, it indicates a need to upgrade the infrastructure to accommodate increased flow. This location is unquestionably superior to the current plans.

I would like to draw your attention to page 7 of Tweed Shire Council's Community Engagement and Participation Plan 2019–2024, which states the following:

-Council encourages effective and ongoing partnerships with the community to provide meaningful opportunities for community participation in Council matters.
-Council engages with the community as early as possible to enable community views to be genuinely considered and to provide a framework for ongoing consultation.
-Community participation is inclusive, and Council actively seeks views that are representative of the community.
-Council uses appropriate methods of engagement with regard to a project's significance and likely impact.
-Decisions are based on evidence-based information and the representative views of the broader community.
-Decisions are made in an open and transparent way, and the community is provided with reasons where required for those decisions, including how community views have been taken into account.

WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!!!

If this is what you stand for, then what you are currently doing goes against your entire plan. The process by which the council handles projects involving sewage ventilation pipes in front of homes must undergo a fundamental transformation. It is imperative that the council genuinely adheres to its own community engagement and participation plan. 

On behalf of my family and I, concerned neighbors, and fellow Bilambil Heights residents we would like all our questions answered and want the project for the 10-meter-high pipe stopped immediately.