Mayor – Willow Court Tasmania

No voice for previous patients from Mayor Martyn Evans

September 21, 2013 2 Comments

A conversation yesterday morning with a member of our team confirmed that the Derwent Valley Council, Mayor Martyn Evans will not be representing the ex-patients like Chas Canden when meeting with Premier Lara Giddings on October 2nd. In this divisive community move the Mayor will only be representing the ex-staff who had a choice about whether they worked in WC, but ignoring the rights of families and individuals who had no choice about their involvement with WC.

It is extremely disappointing that the Derwent Valley Council’s representative will ignore the rights of people who live or have lived in the Derwent Valley who have a disability. The Mayor’s ignorance on the issues around Willow Court has astonished many ex-staff members who advocated for the rights of the previous residents when they worked at the site.

It is acknowledged that the majority of staff operated to the highest ethical standards at all times and that an apology is not a slight on them. Some former patients who were not treated as well as they should have been, against the standards of the day, deserve some representation from their elected representative but it seems that this will not happen.

On another positive note Eric Hutchinson, Lyons newly elected Federal Government representative is meeting with Members of the Willow Court Tasmania Sites Of Conscience Advocacy Group.

This article has been censored from “Our New Norfolk” Facebook Group. Disappointed! Let the people decide for themselves.

Global, Local

Mayor to meet with Lara Giddings over “Apology”

September 18, 2013 No Comments

The Mayor of the Derwent Valley Council will meet with the Premier of Tasmania on October 2nd to further discuss the proposed apology to the previous Residents of Willow Court according to the September agenda of the Derwent Valley Council.

The Mayor, Martyn Evans is also a supporter of the insensitive Paranormal documentary about Willow Court which contains images of previous residents (without their permission) and is still on the agenda of the Council to deal with at it’s next meeting. This long waiting agenda item has had some issues according to Film Maker Aiden Sullivan “we have hit a few more legal speed humps in our efforts to release our documentary of willow court”.

Some Parents and ex-patients have also expressed concern about any release of a documentary containing and linking the suffering of people with mental health issues who were undergoing treatment and the hobby and past time of a small number of paranormal enthusiasts.

We are keen to have a position statement from the Mayor in regard to the previous Resident’s right to be represented by Council during the meeting with the Tasmanian Government, and the enthusiastic support of the Paranormal Documentary which was a joint Derwent Valley Council project with the film maker.

The Greens candidate recently wrote to this website and explained the apology in this way which we have found to be a wonderful explanation and extremely well written;

Support an apology. The Greens support and have been working towards a formal apology for those former patients who were not treated as well as they should have been against the standards of the day. We are cognisant of the feelings of former staff who assert that, to their knowledge, all patients were cared for in an appropriate manner, and feel that an apology is an accusation that their work in caring for residents was somehow inadequate. It needs to be acknowledged that the majority of staff operated to the highest ethical standards at all times and that an apology is not a slight on them. Our position is that an apology should occur as soon as possible, so that as many former patients as possible can be made aware of it.

Pip Brinklow,

The Greens House of Representatives candidate for Lyons

This was well explained, thank you Pip.

Local

DVC Mayor and GM respond to questions about Willow Court

August 7, 2013 1 Comment

The Mayor clarifies the ownership of the Willow Court Tunnel in answering Cr Bester’s questions in April’s Council meeting of the Derwent Valley Council.

The Mayor advised that he was of the view that as the tunnel is on private land Council would have minimal controls on its usage, but if it was utilised to access the tunnel in Crown or Council Land the situation may be different.

Cr. Bester who is a strong supporter of the joint production of the Paranormal Film shot at Willow Court is keen on knowing the result of the outcome with the state’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and the Mayor answers as follows.

The Mayor advised that he would ask the General Manager to forward a copy of the correspondence to all councillors.

The General Manager of the Derwent Council answers a question about being flexible in the re-zoning arrangements to accommodate the buildings proponents of the oval precinct.

The General Manager advised that the simple answer was yes. Also changes to the zoning and also to the Conservation Management plan were done to achieve more flexibility in regard to being able to consider a commercial development on site.

Global, Local

The elusive tunnel?

November 27, 2012 No Comments

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE DVC.

The last minutes for the Derwent Valley Council Cr Bester asked the follow question without notice

Can you update us on the search for tunnels beneath Willow Court?

The Mayor Evans advised that the Hon. David Llewellyn had been researching the matter in the state archives and had found historical references to the tunnel dating to 1834.The mayor said he would liaise with the new licensee of the Bush Inn Hotel and a member of the public who had seen the tunnel beneath the hotel.

It is also interesting that Frascati was also built in that year and we know that the Barrel Tunnel runs out next to the Bush Inn Tony Talks about the Barrel Drain that runs from Willow Court to the Derwent River is this one in the same?