Mr Roger Bottrall This is Me

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1. 1. www.alicespringsnews.com.au

   www.alicespringsnews.com.au/11 - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/8/2004   Last Visited: 4/24/2007

   This is how Roger Bottrall, the town council's acting CEO at the time, sees the controversial events brought to light by the Alice Springs News. He now works in a senior position with Ausaid in Papua New Guinea. Mr Bottrall makes no judgment about the council's ultimate decision of refurbishing the old council offices, at a cost of more than $10m. He says staff are unhappy about the condition of the present office. Contacted by the Alice News last week he recounted the events two years ago from the perspective of the council's then most senior employee, carrying out instructions from his masters in whose court it was to make the political decisions. In 2002 Mr Bottrall's brief was to develop a concept with his opposite numbers in the government, which would have seen sale of the present Civic Centre site Ð not including the library Ð to the government for approved private development, promoting "significant financial, social, environmental and public relations benefits", according to the report leaked to the News. There were snags, says Mr Bottrall: "Senior departmental people did not seem to be enthusiastic. "I don't think they understood the concept we were talking about." However, clearly that is an issue the politicians in the council should have taken up with the politicians in government who were keen on the idea. In his report Mr Bottrall says the Chief Minister had "expressed enthusiasm" for the scheme. It's not difficult to conclude from what Mr Bottrall says now, and what he wrote in his still secret report in December 2002, that the council has displayed an abysmal lack of leadership, blew what might have been an outstanding opportunity for improving the town, and ignored the government's overt willingness to be extremely generous to the council. All the while the ratepayers were kept in the dark about a project that would have saved them $5m, by the estimate of Mr Bottrall and the co-author of his report, Eric Petersen, then director corporate services and now director of infrastructure.
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   ¥ Later in 2002 Mr Bottrall makes a presentation to the NT Cabinet and is told the Chief Minister "looked forward to receiving an offer from the Council". ¥ The council gives Mr Bottrall three months to come up with a deal, an absurdly inadequate time frame given the complexity of the task. ¥ Mr Bottrall keeps the council informed about the obstructions from some of the NT public servants but the council does nothing about that, an amazing omission given that the NT Government's politicians are keen to see the project advance. Mr Bottrall says he told the council "we have a window of opportunity but we have to move on it. "Unfortunately senior people didn't move on it. "They kept on passing things back. We were going nowhere." ¥ After three months the council pulls the pin on Mr Bottrall's efforts, and embarks on a course of action that will cost the ratepayers many millions of dollars. "I had not been able to secure any deal," says Mr Bottrall, "and they decided to move on the original concept [refurbishing the existing council office]."

2. 2. Alice Springs News, July 5, 2000

   www.alicespringsnews.com.au/07 - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/5/2000   Last Visited: 7/18/2006

   Roger Bottrall, director of the council's Planning and Infrastructure Services, says that at present there is "a mix and match of agreements and non-agreements" between council and the town's sporting bodies. Council is proposing formalised and standardised agreements which Mr Bottrall says will introduce equity into the system and make everyone's position more secure. He also says that where more than one sport uses a facility, the agreements will sort out who has responsibility for what, making disputes less likely. Feedback from the various sports on council's initial proposals has been taken into account, says Mr Bottrall, and council will now enter into negotiation with each and every sporting body to reach mutually satisfactory agreements.Negotiations with the Central Australian Football League (CAFL) and the Alice Springs Cricket Association (ASCA), "as the two biggest sports", are the closest to conclusion.Other sports, such as netball and basketball, are still waiting to see the detail of council's latest proposals, and this is perhaps making them feel more concerned than they need to be.
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   Mr Bottrall says the SFAC has driven the process behind the proposed new agreements, and that the committee has a good cross-section of sporting bodies represented on it."This is not about raising more money for council," says Mr Bottrall."It's about getting greater clarity into our arrangements."We are looking for a contribution towards costs, but it is nothing near a Ôuser pays' fee."There will be no increase in any charges this year, and there will be plenty of notice given of any changes."Indeed, says Mr Bottrall, nothing will be signed without the " full agreement" of each sporting body, and charges will only be made on the basis of each sport being able to afford them. If a sport, such as Little Athletics, does not have residence at a particular facility, Mr Bottrall says there will be no change: "They will have the right to continue as they have always done, it will just be tied into a specific agreement."
   
   TOWN PLANNING CONFUSION STILL RIFE Ð MAYOR.
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   The new council has appointed aldermen Jenny Mostran and Sue Jefford to the authority, with David Koch Ð a former permanent member Ð as the "alternate" member.However, despite a recent review of the NT Planning Act, the impact the council can have on the planning process remains unclear, says Mrs Erlich."We were told if council discusses and takes a position on a particular issue, then those aldermen must declare an interest in that particular topic, and would not be able to participate in the authority's discussions."The members [would] have to absent themselves."I think if they declare an interest and participate they would be leaving themselves open for future litigation."As we understand it, aldermen on the authority can comment but it must be [on the basis of] their own opinions, not the council's."Mrs Erlich says it has "not yet [been] clarified" whether the council's planning officer, Roger Bottrall, who usually attends authority meetings, can put forward the council's case."He

3. 3. www.alicespringsnews.com.au

   www.alicespringsnews.com.au/10 - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/12/2003   Last Visited: 4/24/2007

   Of 54 members of the outside workforce, 53 voted in favour of a motion of no confidence in Planning and Infrastructure Director Roger Bottrall, and Senior Engineer Henry Szczypiorski.
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   Mr Bottrall and Mr Szczypiorski were unavailable for comment.