Independent Hunters Hill Councillor Marc Lane joined “Hendo” on Monday Morning Matters (November 10) to discuss local issues, including infrastructure priorities and the need for better youth services.  

Councillor Lane was elected in October last year, and has over two decades of experience working for Government bodies. 

When discussing major focuses for Hunters Hill, Lane expressed he is ‘big on transport’ emphasising the need for more buses in our LGA. To continue, Lane was part of the movement and transport committee last council session, and was able to get the ‘integrated transport strategy’ up.

However, a main issue on Councillor Lane’s agenda is the need for youth programs in our local community. 

“Kids, just like adults, need to be able to get to places easily. It’s not easy, even to get around Hunters Hill… I think we need to be thinking about multiple facilities and facilities that are easier for most people to get to,” said Lane. 

He continued, “The main critique that you hear is that there aren’t really places to go after dark. So you know, a basketball court or a sailing club doesn’t really work…having these kinds of locations that you can go, that you can go after dark in particular I think is important. So being able to offer those kinds of facilities on the peninsula, or in a central location that people can get to is definitely something we should do.”

As the Clarke’s Point Masterplan progresses, “Hendo” asked Councillor Lane on his thoughts regarding the development. 

Lane responded, “We created a consultation panel to make recommendations, we invited in businesses and we don’t have representatives from the lets call it, ‘the bushland and ecology side’. I think we have this amazing green estate at the top of Hunters Hill, and I think it’s a bit of an odd thing to do in a consultation to be putting more emphasis on business and monetising the asset, rather than preserving the green space.”

He continued saying that the Hunters Hill council is “running at a deficit. So, it was a technical deficit when I joined the council, it’s now an actual deficit.”. 

Natalie de Silver on the Morning Mix (November 11) interviewed Mayor Zac Miles– mentioning Councillor Lane’s comments on Hunters Hill’s council being in a ‘deficit’. He denied such comments expressing: 

“Councils often run what’s called an ‘operational deficit’. That’s a deficit after all fees and grants are allocated. So, if you assume there’s no grant funding from any state or federal government, you can run a deficit budget … last year an ‘operational deficit’ but a real surplus … we had a surplus budget because we’re taking in capital from the State and Federal Governments. But, if you took all of that away, then the council would have run a deficit…in real terms it’s a surplus budget.” 

On the contrary, both members agreed on the need for youth services in our LGA, as Mayor Zac Miles said, “Youth services is top priority– we’re just getting our critical infrastructure right, and then obviously rolling out youth programs is another thing that councils committed to.”

He continued, “Even at the last meeting, council allocated $5000 from the community grants budget and four grand from the July resolution council to deliver more youth services in Hunters Hill.”