Charles Exton of Kinglake
Exton v Dunscombe over Council issues
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Prominent Kinglake identity Charles Exton says he has lodged an official complaint against Murrindindi Shire Council Deputy Mayor Cr Leigh Dunscombe.
Mr Exton alleges that Cr Dunscombe has breached the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. Mr Exton says he lodged the complaint with Council Chief Executive Officer Craig Lloyd.
The dispute has come to a head after differences of opinion about developments at the Kinglake Memorial Reserve.
Mr Exton says that the Council has not used insurance money, received after the 2009 fires, to rebuild public toilets at the reserve.
He said the Reserve’s Committee of Management was not fully functional after the fires, and was dissolved last year.
Mr Exton said that the Council tried to trick user bodies into signing licensing agreements that would have those organisations meeting the cost of maintenance at the Reserve.
Mr Exton said that Mr Lloyd tried to prevent him (Mr Exton) from attending a meet-ing of user bodies, but that he attended anyway.
A Council staff member was said to have told Mr Exton that he should not attend, be-cause the Council did not want Mr Exton to become aggressive.
Mr Exton said the move to exclude him was designed to provoke him.
“They’re playing a bluff with the people of Kinglake.”
Mr Exton says there are a number of problems with facilities at the Memorial Reserve, located at the Extons Rd
corner in Kinglake Central.
The netball courts are cracked, and the AFL Outer East would not allow teams to play on the surface.
Tennis court surfaces were also lifting, he said.
Additionally, there were problems with the cricket nets, and there were ongoing drainage issues.
Mr Exton said two water tanks and the perimeter fence had not been provided, even though the Council received an insurance pay-out.
Disabled toilets at the oval were impossible to access.
Mr Exton said Cr Duns-combe was trying to take credit for works that were yet to be completed.
A Master Plan had yet to be agreed upon, and there had been no reference group.
Mr Exton said Cr Dun-combe’s assertion, that a Kinglake petition being organised by Mr Exton was illegal, was incorrect. His solicitor had con-firmed its legality.