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I would agree with Geoff in expecting to see more empowerment or leadership from the local government level. I know our council has gone through a painful process regarding the removal of two century old dams in the City for safety reasons. Allot of technical reasoning was brought forward for why the dams had to come down and not enough early community engagement was done in this case. As a result, a long and bitter dispute erupted with a local neighbourhood group that saw the dams and the ponds they created, as significant community amenities.
Despite all the professional advice from engineers on the need to dismantle the dams, the residents continued to dispute the results. At a far greater cost, a refurbishment program for the existing dams was eventually agreed on. However, it includes creating a new spillway that will mean a number of significant trees are taken down within the City Park where the dams are located. Many of the same residents are now angry about the loss of these trees in order to save the dam.