Withers task force to get new members
A group responsible for overseeing development in Withers is poised for five new members to be chosen at tonight's Bunbury City Council meeting.
Councillors have been asked to endorse the nomination of residents Mary Dunlop, Joanna Hugues-Dit-Ciles, Ken and Lynette Warnes and Gavin Ladhams to the Withers Advisory Committee.
After years of lobbying from the community and the Withers Action Group, the council agreed to spend $1.5 million in five years on the suburb.
The WAC will be guaranteed the ability to spend the final $300,000 instalment of the fund on projects in Withers from July 1.
Mr Warnes was previously the WAG's representative on the WAC but was recently chosen as the inaugural chairman of the Withers Progress Association.
He said he wanted to rejoin the WAC because it was a "worthwhile project".
"Last year, I think so much was achieved by the Withers Advisory Committee," Mr Warnes said.
"I have to continue to make sure we get the best possible value out of the last $300,000."
The WAC has been embroiled in a number of controversies since it began operations in late 2013.
The latest problem involved the suspension of three WAC members because of concerns over governance issues in the WAG, which have since been resolved.
This left the WAC with only four members - three of them Bunbury councillors.
The council in March agreed to change the composition of the WAC to allow any Withers resident to join rather than reserving three positions for the WAG.
Members of the WAG have previously clashed with chairman James Hayward.
In 2014, WAG members pushed a motion of no-confidence in Mr Hayward that was ultimately unsuccessful.
