A resurgence of the inactive Penola Ratepayers Association is being considered following a failed petition to save a row of trees.
The move comes after some Penola residents were left disappointed by a recent decision made by the Wattle range Council to chop down a row of cypress trees in Clarke Street.
Head petitioner Jodi Strother said the petition signed by 30 people was read by the council the day the trees were being removed which made it too late for anything to stop.
Earlier this year, public consultation was held with eight responses against removing the trees and four in favour of keeping them.
Ms Strother is now very keen to bring back the former Ratepayers and Residents Group and will have discussions with former members of the group in the near future.
The group was active years ago, but folded due to a drop in membership.
“I have spoken to a few locals who are very keen to start up the former Ratepayers and Residents group for Penola and Coonawarra district which went into recess some years ago,” she said.
“I will need to make some more enquiries and go from there.”
The main focus of the group would be local issues.
A former chairman of the group said that at the time the group was formed, the council “just wouldn’t listen”, and said the group initially started with some 180 members, but many got extremely disappointed with Council not listening to residents and the membership dropped off quickly.
The former Chairman said the whole aim of the group was to let the Council know what residents wanted for Penola and district.
Riddoch Ward councillor Chris Brodie said he would be happy to have conversations with the group, if it reforms, and added that ratepayers are always invited to contact him if they had issues to discuss.
“It’s always good to get feedback,” he said.
“I was a member of the group in the past, and I am a ratepayer, so I support it.”
Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll was also supportive of the group.
” If a section of the community want to set up those small community committees they are entitled to do that and that what democracy is – people can get together and discuss these issues and bring them to council and have a sit down discussion around those,” he said.
“That’s what the process is about.
“I am more than happy to work with them.”
