I RARELY give a tinker’s cuss about anything happening within driving range east of Beerwah Golf Course, but my interest in the Mooloolaba Revitalisation Development escalated recently when Mayor Rosanna Natoli and husband and Division 4 Councillor Joe had to exclude (or execute) themselves from voting on the project. Division 4 takes in Mooloolaba, which is apparently the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the coast.
Both had strong opinions on the proposed development leading up to the council elections.
“I want the council not to proceed with the awarding of any contracts until the new council is in place and the new council receives a report,” Cr Natoli demanded back in January.
While mayoral hopeful Mrs Natoli said at the same time that a vote on the project should be delayed because: “I think that there isn’t enough detail available to the public.”
Fast forward two weeks from that time and we now know that on February 4, the Peninsula Beachfront Resort offered Mrs Natoli five nights accommodation (valued at $2,200), which was presumably accepted.
Unfortunately, by accepting those vouchers the Natolis have now been forced to exclude themselves from voting on this controversial, expensive and long-awaited multi-million dollar Mooloolaba project. A project that both have voiced their opinions on and that Division 4 ratepayers might have expected their councillor would be very much a part of the debate.
Even if you acknowledge it was an innocent error of judgment, constituents might well want some answers about who they now address their concerns to and are there any other projects in the area that the pair will be required to exclude themselves from voting on. At least this isn’t Townsville though.