A MEETING convened by Council in May to inform Islamic cemetery objectors about the current court case shocked some of the attendants.
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Emerging from the Grace Millsom Centre after the May 27 forum, people found police stationed in the foyer.
They were apparently there to ‘keep the peace,’ but the Marulan Action Group, at least, was offended.
“I was horrified,” member Ross Cameron said.
“These are decent people, they are not radical. They attended not to riot but to get answers.”
Mr Cameron said the meeting was called to inform the community about the upcoming conciliation meeting, scheduled for June 15. This was subsequently postponed until Friday, August 7.
The May meeting was hosted by council managers and staff but no councillors attended.
Mr Cameron told the Post that people left more confused than when they arrived.
Council’s then acting general manager, Brendan Hollands said some 70 to 80 people attended the session.
Council’s lawyer Sue Puckeridge of Lindsay Taylor Lawyers advised objectors of how they could participate in the conciliation.
Mr Hollands said Council advised police the meeting was on but did not specifically request their presence.
“We said we were pretty comfortable nothing would happen but just in case they heard of anything, we wanted them to know that we were holding the meeting,” he said.
But an inspector called back and advised they would attend as police were aware of several “incidents” at the proposed Islamic Cemetery site on Highland Way at Marulan.
Mr Hollands could not elaborate on these.
He said two police remained in the foyer throughout the meeting and removed themselves from proceedings.
“People were good but we knew at (previous Marulan) outreach meetings things had become a bit heated,” he said.
Hume Local Area Command crime manager, Inspector Chad Gillies said police had simply “popped their head” into the meeting but there was no issue.
He was also unaware of any “incidents” at the proposed Marulan site.
The Command has commented on the proposal as part of the DA process but at this stage, Inspector Gillies said it was not a police issue.
Meantime, Mr Hollands advised this week that Council had so far spent $36,000 defending the current NSW Land and Environment Court case regarding the Islamic cemetery.
It estimates a total $80,000 cost. The council also spent $22,000 defending its initial refusal of a 7-Eleven service station in Clinton St.
It pulled out of that action, opting for conciliation and conditional approval, which cut down earlier estimates of $70,000 in legal expenses.