Dear Editor,
Tim Drylie’s attempt to justify his walkout from the 16 September Council meeting is as shameful as the act itself (The Wombat Post – 4th Oct).
The walkout was a cynical exercise by three councillors (Drylie, Bray and Halliday) to ensure they didn’t lose a vote on a planning matter. The walkout clearly abrogated community expectations of their responsibilities as elected councillors.
Mr Drylie’s feeble justification for his walkout was that he lost a previous vote 4-3 on a motion “to publicly make the Mayor’s diary retrospectively accessible ….” (with the mayor having the casting vote).
The Council’s Governance Rules which give the Mayor a casting vote in the event of a tie are part of the democratic processes by which our Council operates. Welcome to democracy and due process!
I take Mr Drylie back to the 19 July 2022 council meeting, when as Mayor he used his casting vote (a process he now opposes) in cooperation with the same trio of “walkout” councillors, to pass a motion to support the building of luxury short term accommodation units on the top of Cornish Hill in Daylesford.
Prof Leanne Howard, in her 2022 submission to the 19 July Council meeting outlined the high historical and environmental values of the site, now seriously degraded.
(A recording of the council proceedings can be seen at:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=5812839542073921 with the discussion commencing at 1:42.00 Prof Howard at 1:48.25 and voting at 2:00.40.)
The “Shacks on Sticks” are currently under construction with five luxury accommodation units overlooking Lake Daylesford. (The “Shacks” proposal replaced the “Sky-Barrels” proposal, unanimously opposed by council in May 2022).
And what was the justification for their stance? Affordable Housing? Social Housing? Environmental improvements? Historical importance? NO. It would seem that Cr Drylie didn’t listen! And that despite his “green” credentials.
Call it out for what it is – a sell out of the Daylesford community to benefit a developer.
It’s time for Mr Drylie to acknowledge his hypocrisy and if re-elected, commit to abandoning anti-democratic tactics in the future. Democracy calls for consultation and debate not self-righteous arrogance. For an endorsed Greens candidate, Mr Drylie looks very blue and red!
Alan Smith
Daylesford
Response from Cr Tim Drylie
Dear Editor,
While robust debate is an integral part of our democracy, facts must inform it. My decision to leave the September 16 meeting was made after carefully considering legal and ethical responsibilities—not to avoid a vote as some have wrongly suggested. Oversimplifying and misinterpreting complex issues does a disservice to our community and overlooks the diligence required in council decision-making. I remain committed to accountability, transparency, and serving Hepburn Shire with integrity—values that will continue to guide my leadership moving forward.
Tim Drylie
Creswick
