But there were not any takers, not even a whisper.

The reason for their absence is this, I received a letter from the Upper Hunter Shire Council on August 19, 2008 stating that they supported Energy-Australia’s Sub Station site, subject to Environmental Assess-ment, flooding, drainage and salinity issues.

Well, all these issues have failed in a disgraceful, disastrous and dangerous manner.

It has made flooding more prevalent than ever about 300 metres upstream from the highway.

It is there for any interested person to see.

Our natural watercourse has been ruined and vandalised

forever.

This was the lowest standard of planning for future, in the history of this council, as the councillors were the only people who could have stopped this much needed substation from being built on this site.

There was no excuse for this as there was a much better site in the immediate area.

It would have cost tax payers and consumers thousands and thousands of dollars less and it would have offered a better result.

It would have saved our watercourse from ruination and it would have stopped the residents of Honeysuckle Crescent and Bottlebrush Place from losing value on their properties.

Now the council wants to rezone 65 hectares of land in this catchment for development directly above our homes in this already overloaded catchment.

A signatoried letter on this anticipated move from the people of Bottlebrush Place and Honeysuckle Crescent was sent to the council on August 13, 2009 through NSW Minister for Upper Hunter George Souris.

I only hope our councillors read it.

If a decision like the one made in 2008 is repeated, it could become very costly for the council or the developer.

For concerned people of this area