Morpeth Heritage Conservation group president Simon Brooker said Maitland councillors are still misleading the community about a consultation process regarding the possibility of listing the village on the State Heritage Register.
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Mr Brooker said comments made by Maitland councillor Mitchell Griffin in today’s Maitland Mercury were misleading.
“He says that the Office of Environment and Heritage requires council to provide the resources towards community consultation. All they were asking for was council support towards a community consultation process at no cost to council,” Mr Brooker said. “This is clearly stated in the council officer’s report in the last meeting agenda.
“All councillors had to vote on at the last meeting was to allow the consultation process to begin in Morpeth. By no means will council be resourcing the consultation process,” Mr Brooker said. “Saying the ratepayers would be funding this process is wrong and another lie.”
”As I stated before, the heritage registration is still a long way off. The office still has to get community support and that’s what council seems to forget. We need community support. It is the community who will make the decision and it is the community who will be impacted.
“Morpeth Heritage Conservation Group is not saying this should happen. All we are recommending is that we are prepared to listen to the community and their objections should they come,” Mr Brooker said.
Mr Brooker met yesterday with Maitland Mayor Loretta Baker and council’s Planning, Environment and Lifestyle Manager Bernie Mortomore. “Council has now sent a letter to the Office of Environment and Heritage letting them know of council’s decision. We don’t know what the office will do from here. They have a couple of options.
“Our group has a meeting Wednesday night and we will fix a date for a community meeting. A council representative will attend that and there will also be a representative there from the Office of Environment and Heritage,” Mr Brooker said.
