What’s true in TRU’s consultations

(1) From Karl Munn, Dapto

In REPLY to Chris Brandis (Lake Times, August 14), TRUenergy, as the saying goes, is all talk and no action. Their first public meeting at Ribbonwood Centre, Dapto, asked the meeting what would those present like to see in the Powerhouse surrounds and no mention was made of the housing estate now being pushed and nothing has been fed back to the public from that meeting over 12 months ago.

So why waste one’s time in going to another of their meetings and I am sure lots of others think the same. This overseas company is playing politics with the public and how many more companies will they buy if Labor Premier Iemma gets his way?

Like a lot of meetings of late, talk is cheap what we need is action but none of that is happening, is it Mr Brandis?

(2) From Avalynne Wilby, Koonawarra

Mr BRANDIS’S comments regarding TRU and the Ribbonwood meetings may not be correct. The editorial referred to by Mr Brandis dealt with process and not attendance at the Ribbonwood meetings. This lack of process has been a major concern to the members of the community and a number of council employees.

Mr Brandis’s comments also raise questions about the role played by special interest groups “chosen” to be members of the community liaison group.

Some members of the CLG have an interest in their continued access and use of the site and may not represent the interests of the community as a whole nor are they qualified to articulate the effect of the proposed development on the lake and its surrounding communities.

(3) From Ken Davis, Koonawarra

Once again Chris Brandis has missed the point. He failed to indicate that the community meetings he mentioned were poorly attended because they were poorly advertised.

CRED members have surveyed the local area and found 95 per cent of residents oppose housing on Tallawarra Point. However, most of those who want Tallawarra Point to remain green are in despair, saying: “It doesn’t matter, they’ll just do what they want.”

One resident was telephoned by a TRUenergy manager and told directly, “You’re getting houses whether you like it or not”.

I have been requesting information about TRU’s community engagement for over 12 months and continue to be fobbed off. Is it any wonder that most of us believe the one thing we’ll never get from TRU is frankness.