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Here are contact numbers and addresses for all Members of state Parliament.
Remember that the main point of the letter is to get a public comment process.
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Sample Letter to Your Local Member of Parliament
Dear (Your Local Member)
On January 10th, 2007 the Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Sheila McHale, MLA announced that the government was proceeding with the proposed Mt Herschel hotel development on Rottnest Island - without putting the concept plans our for public comment.
This is a clear breach of a written commitment given by then Tourism Minister, the Hon. Mark McGowan, who released preliminary advice about this development on 5th November 2005.
In his media release Mr McGowan said that the concept plans would be put out for public comment. I am advised by the Rottnest Society that the Rottnest Island Authority's CEO, Paolo Amaranti subsequently spoke a number of times of the public comment period. This has never happened.
Under the Rottnest Island Authority Act 1987 the Rottnest Island Authority is required to 'control and manage the Island in accordance with the management plan for the time being applicable to the Island'. The current Rottnest Island Management Plan (RIMP) 2003-2008 was available for public comment as required by Part IV 22 of the Act before it was formally gazetted.
The current RIMP does NOT include provision for a hotel at Mt Herschel. Moreover, RIMP recommendation 6.5.3.3 states that the RIA must 'Except where specified, limit construction of accommodation on Rottnest to the replacement of existing accommodation, as necessary' and of course the Act requires a focus on accommodation for local families {Part III, 12(1)(a)}.
The Rottnest Island Taskforce, established in 2003, made a series of recommendations for managing Rottnest which were largely accepted by the government but which have never been subjected to a public comment process. The Taskforce Report is not a gazetted statutory document and does not therefore supersede the RIMP.
This is a major development on Rottnest and I and many other members of the public are very concerned about its impact and desire the opportunity to comment on it.
I therefore write to ask you to take whatever action you can to ensure that the government honours both the principle of public consultation established by the Act and the RIMP, and the specific commitment by Mark McGowan, and makes the concept plans available for a properly constituted public comment process.
Yours faithfully